Cord Byrd: “I begin my speaking with reference to my colleague, Ted Stevens. He is a beacon of reasoning. I was saying to my staff…”

“I begin my speaking with reference to my colleague, Ted Stevens. He is a beacon of reasoning. I was saying to my staff last night--or this morning, I forget; I am almost oblivious to time--here is a man who is standing up for the institution. It is not the administration's desire that we have a time agreement that allows the minority, the Democrats, to offer amendments with up- or-down votes, with an understanding there will be no stacking of the tree. This is something new in the Senate, in a way, under this administration. Yet this man, Senator Stevens of Alaska, has taken the position the minority is going to have its opportunity--when I say the minority, I am talking about the Democrats--to offer amendments. We will have up-or-down votes. We are not going to stack any tree. This is a breath of fresh air, and I think we ought to recognize this in Senator Ted Stevens' chairmanship. He is fighting for fairness and equality between the two parties when it comes to deliberations on the Senate floor and the offering of amendments. I want to pay this tribute to him.”