Jeff Flake: “I am not comfortable in this position, standing up to argue in favor of a Democrat motion to recommit. Just a year ago…”

“I am not comfortable in this position, standing up to argue in favor of a Democrat motion to recommit. Just a year ago, I stood at that very podium and argued on behalf of the majority in favor of reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and against the Democrat motion to recommit that was favored by many of my colleagues. But during that process, we had more than a dozen hearings, a long markup, a spirited debate on the floor under a rule that allowed for a series of amendments, including four of my own. We did not have that process this time. This was a closed rule that did not allow for a vote, a clean vote, on a bipartisan substitute except as a Democrat motion to recommit. I wish that this were not the case because, as I said, I try not to make a habit of voting for Democrat motions to recommit. But for those of us who believe we should exercise our congressional prerogative to regulate the President's authority to conduct surveillance, this is our only option.”