Political Quotes

“Mr. President, it was the Senate which made a decision last year on hate crimes. It was not the Senator from Michigan, although I very much favored what the Senate of the United States did. But it was the Senate of the United States which acted in a way which the Senator from Arizona does not agree to--I don't know how many amendments we adopted last year, but it was a large number of amendments which were adopted. A large number of amendments were defeated. I don't know if that tree was filled up, as the Senator puts it, last year or not, or when it was filled up. But we had a huge number of amendments that were considered on this bill. It is the intention, I hope and believe, of the leader, and it is surely my intention this year, that we have an amendment process which is traditional for the Defense authorization bill; that it be a very open process for amendments on this bill. That is my intention. It is the intention of the majority leader as well. I want to assure my friend from Arizona that will be the case again this year. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Shaheen). The Senator from Arizona. Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I won't repeat myself over and over. The fact is, last year, the Senator from Michigan brought up hate crimes, filled up the tree, and we spent almost all of the first 2 weeks debating hate crimes, which had nothing to do with the purpose and mission of the Senate Armed Services Committee.…”