Cord Byrd: “Not yet. I will be happy to yield to my friend. He is my friend. I love him, I told him that, but I love the Senate…”

“Not yet. I will be happy to yield to my friend. He is my friend. I love him, I told him that, but I love the Senate better. I love the Senate more. I love this man from Alaska. I do, I love him. I feel my blood in my veins is with his blood. I love him, but I love the Senate more. I came here and swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and I would die upholding that oath, just as the Romans honored an oath. And I feel the same about that. I love my friend from Alaska, I say, I love him, but I cannot go down that road. I have told him so. I love him, but I love the Senate more. I know he is going to speak, and I would love to follow him, but I won't be able to, so let my words stand. The record stands. If permitted today, the process could be utilized again and again and again, with terrible consequences for the Senate rules. I understand that Senators are working to avoid this scenario. I hope that effort is successful. Allowing this process to continue unfolding as it has in recent days would cause significant harm to the Senate as an institution. Senators should realize that if negated in the next hour, rule XXVIII would not be restored in its current form until the President signs into law the Defense appropriations conference report, which could take as long as 10 days.…”