Political Quotes

“Madam President, I want to say to my friend from Tennessee that the majority leader has offered a way forward, and he has taken a page out of the book of the Republican leader, and he quoted him, and I have those quotes here: ``Matters of controversy always require 60 votes.'' And my friend knows. He knows. I stand here as the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. I am so grateful I have moved some bills through here-- highway bills, water bills--but my friend knows that the two big amendments that his side wants to offer don't deal with ordinary matters. They deal with matters that have jurisdiction in the environment committee, and they deal with a repeal of parts of the Clean Air Act and a repeal of parts of the Clean Water Act. So my friend wants to move forward. I am sure he would agree that to repeal parts of landmark laws on an appropriations bill is legislating on appropriations and ought to require 60 votes. It is wrong. Now, I would say to my friend, why is the other side so determined to repeal two laws--one dealing with the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, and then the other one is this Clean Air Act--why are my friends on the other side continuing to go against these landmark laws--which, by the way, were signed into law by a Republican President?…”