Cord Byrd: “Mr. President, Cato, the Elder, lived between the years 234 B.C. and 149 B.C. He was a great Roman statesman, and he…”

“Mr. President, Cato, the Elder, lived between the years 234 B.C. and 149 B.C. He was a great Roman statesman, and he once went to Carthage and viewed the operations of the Carthaginians and saw the progress they were making in building a prosperous regime and one that had considerable warmaking power. Cato brought back to the Roman Senate some figs that had grown in Carthage just to demonstrate the fact that Carthage was "not very far away, gentlemen. This is a country you had better keep your eye on. You had better watch these people. They are growing stronger every day and they don't live very far away, as evidenced by these fresh figs from Carthage." And, indeed, that great statesman, Cato, the Elder, henceforth closed every speech, every communication, every letter, with the words, "Carthage must be destroyed!" I shall close this speech now and perhaps some future ones with the words, "The line-item veto must be repealed!" I yield the floor.”