Political Quotes

“before we vote this morning, I want to express my support for the appointment of conferees and my belief that this is yet another encouraging sign of a return to regular order in the appropriations process. The package of appropriations bills that will be conferenced with the House received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate. This broad agreement was facilitated by a concerted effort by both parties to prevent partisan riders from poisoning the well. Thus far, we have been able to translate bipartisan cooperation among members of the Appropriations Committee into success on the Senate floor. At this time, I want to recognize and to commend the continued efforts of the committee members in the process, especially the Republican and Democratic managers of this package. In particular, I want to thank Vice Chairman Leahy for his strong partnership in this effort and Senator Alexander, who is here on the floor, who has guided this process and will chair the conference committee. We will continue to consolidate critical mass for a return to regular order, but we still have a long way to go. This is another step in the right direction. Senator Alexander, Vice Chairman Leahy, and I will have a strong slate of conferees joining us. On the Republican side, it will be Senators Boozman, Daines, and Lankford. On the Democratic side, it will be Senators Feinstein, Schatz, and Murphy.…”