Cord Byrd: “I congratulate the Senate today. The debate has been constructive, the occasion has been historic, and the issue has…”

“I congratulate the Senate today. The debate has been constructive, the occasion has been historic, and the issue has been decided in favor of the sanctity of the Constitution of the United States of America. The debate has been full and extensive, in the best tradition of the Senate, and such debates have become more infrequent in recent years. I believe the outcome is the right result because of the thoroughness and length of the debate. I hope that this indicates a return to the long tradition of real debate on great national issues. There was no way to cure the ills of this amendment. It was fatally flawed from the outset. There is virtually no way such an amendment can be written without rearranging the carefully constructed balance of powers hammered out by the giant intellect and wisdom of the Framers over 200 years ago, or jeopardizing our Nation's economic or national security in times of crisis or peril. There are no statutory fixes that can solve the Social Security trust fund problem or any of the other many difficulties inherent in the language of this constitutional amendment. Statutes can never cure a constitutional amendment's flaws. The Constitution supersedes all legislation that is inconsistent therewith.”