Political Quotes

“Thank you. I will be glad to concede the floor to one of my Republican colleagues if they come during this 5-minute period. When we wrote the health care reform bill, we relied on the best experts we could find. We were dealing with one-sixth of the American economy, which is the sum total of the cost of health care in our Nation, and we did our very best to move forward. It would have been an easier task had we had the cooperation and joint efforts of the Republican side of the aisle, but they decided to step away and say no. Secret Holds The last point I wish to make is that we have reached a historic milestone in the Senate with the Executive Calendar. At this point, we have over 100 nominations to the Obama administration for positions, large and small, that have been held up by the other side of the aisle. I wish to salute Senator Claire McCaskill, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and a number of my colleagues who have come to the floor and challenged the fact that this calendar is glutted with over 100 nominees who can't be brought to the floor for a vote. Now let's examine a historical parallel. At the same time in President George W. Bush's administration, there were 20 nominees being held. Now over 100 are being held. Overwhelmingly, these nominees have passed out of committee to the Senate floor with unanimous bipartisan votes or overwhelming bipartisan votes. They are not controversial. These men and women deserve an opportunity to have an up-or-down vote.…”