Political Quotes

“Madam President, before the Senate at this moment is the New START treaty, an agreement between the United States and Russia. This is an effort to try to make this a safer world, to make certain that the nuclear weapons that are in this world are carefully monitored, that they are watched and inspected, and that we reduce any urge to expand nuclear weaponry. It is an attempt to make this is a safer world. The President worked long and hard on this. He brought it for consideration months ago, almost 7 months ago, and we have had hundreds--at least 200 hearings. I am sorry, let me restate that. We have had many Senate hearings--I don't have the exact number before me, but I will get it--on this matter. We have had many efforts at every level to bring experts from across America and from around the world to support our effort and bring this matter before us. What troubles me, Madam President, is the same thing we discussed earlier at a press conference. We brought this matter to the floor of the Senate over 24 hours ago. Yet speaker after speaker on the Republican side has used this time on the floor of the Senate to come and complain that they do not have any time to speak on the floor of the Senate. They can't have it both ways. They can't come and give a speech about the treaty, yet say the reason we shouldn't take it up is they don't have an opportunity to speak on the treaty. They do have an opportunity to speak on the treaty, and they have had it for more than 24 hours.…”