Political Quotes

“today there will be at least three votes. The first, as we have heard, is to end debate on Senator McConnell's amendment to repeal ObamaCare. The second will be to end debate on the Export-Import Bank. Then there may be a third vote on an appeal by the Senator from Texas, Mr. Cruz, to overturn a ruling of the Chair that an amendment of his is not in order. This is how that came about. On Friday Senator Cruz offered an amendment regarding Iran. The Chair ruled that the amendment was not in order because--and this is what the Chair said, in fact--``it is inconsistent with the Senate's precedents with respect to the offering of amendments.'' The Senator from Texas then appealed the ruling of the Chair. His intention today will be to try to obtain a majority vote to overturn the Chair's ruling. I respect the Senator's strong desire to offer his amendment, but I believe he ought to do it within the Senate rules or I believe we should change Senate rules in the way our rules prescribe. If, instead, a majority of Senators agree with the Senator from Texas, the Senate will be saying that a majority can routinely change Senate rules and procedures anytime it wants on any subject it wants in order to get the result it wants. The problem with that, as former Senator Carl Levin of Michigan once said, is that a Senate that changes its rules anytime a majority wants is a Senate without any rules. Think of it this way. Football season is coming up.…”