Dale Bumpers: “I am going to wax eloquent. I hope the Senator from Maine will pay close attention, because what I am talking about…”

“I am going to wax eloquent. I hope the Senator from Maine will pay close attention, because what I am talking about makes eminent common sense. Last night, somebody said on the floor of the Senate: ``Call your Governor and see how he or she feels about this mandate bill. If you call your Governor, your Governor will say: Please vote for the Kempthorne bill.'' I have a sequel to that: Call your Governor and ask him how he wants you to vote on the Bumpers amendment. All but about eight of them will say: Please, for God's sake, support the Bumpers amendment. Every single Republican will vote the way their Governor wants them to on the first, and not one single Republican will vote the way the Governor wants them to vote on my amendment. When it comes to gridlock, we are pretty good students. We have watched the other side bring this place to a standstill time and time again. I do not want to bring it to a standstill. I want to vote on this. But one of the reasons I am not for cloture is--and it is not just my amendment, there are other amendments that will make this a better bill--the debate might dress it up to the point that I would vote for it. But when it comes to germaneness, how many times have you heard Senators stand on the floor of the Senate and make these great speeches about what a terrible burden the Congress places on the States, cities, and counties? Here is an amendment that would help the States to fund those burdens. It does not require a State to do anything.…”