Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I reserve the right to object. The Senate is a special institution. It is a unique institution. James Madison said the Senate was the only truly innovative part of our Constitution. It remains the case today that our Senate is the only upper Chamber in a Western parliament that has more power under our Constitution than does the lower Chamber. That is in part because of the design of the Senate in our Constitution; because of our Senate rules, of our traditions, of our customs. We have heard a lot about courtesy and collegiality and respect. Those are very important customs around here, but it has to be a two- way street. Earlier this year, in the Judiciary Committee, during the markup for Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General, I was speaking, as is my right under the Judiciary Committee rules. There was at least one other Republican Senator who was preparing to speak. There may have been more. The Senator from Illinois, in his role as chairman of the committee, cut off my remarks and forced through the vote on Vanita Gupta, all so he could save 1 week to get her confirmed--just 1 week. I said right here at this desk 9 months ago that when our rules and our traditions are so flagrantly breached, there has to be some kind of consequence, and I outlined exactly what that consequence would be at the time: that I would not expedite consideration, as the Senator from Illinois rightly observes is the custom here, for any U.S.…”