Political Quotes

“Polling indicates the No. 1 issue in this country and concern is not education. It is energy. Under the previous leadership--and hindsight is cheap--this was the week we were going to be debating a comprehensive energy bill in this body. Senator Lott had indicated that that was the next order of business after education. Where are we in the order of business? We are on the Patients' Bill of Rights. We are supposedly going to be on the supplemental next week. We may take up the minimum wage. We may be on appropriations. Where is energy in the Democratic list of priorities for this body? I am very disappointed that evidently it has been tossed aside under the new leadership. Where have we been on this matter? We have been busy. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which I previously chaired and on which I worked with Senator Bingaman--Senator Bingaman now chairs the committee--has been busy inasmuch as we have held 24 hearings.”