Political Quotes

“this Senate is an institution which was central to the decision to become a Nation. I have been watching this John Adams documentary on HBO--I recommend it to everybody--talking about the earliest days of America. This great Constitution which guides our Nation almost didn't happen but for a compromise which said that even the smallest States would at least have two Senators, the same as the largest States. On the Senate floor that tradition continued, allowing even minorities, small groups, and even individual Senators certain rights which are not afforded to those across the Rotunda in the House of Representatives. One of these is a filibuster where Senators can take to the floor and can hold the floor, objecting to what is going on. It takes an extraordinary vote--a large vote, more than a majority in the Senate-- to take the floor back from that single Senator or group of Senators and to proceed with business. These filibusters have stopped what are so-called ``cloture motions,'' closing down the debate and moving on with business. It takes 60 votes for a cloture vote. In other words, 60 Senators have to agree to stop a filibuster and move forward. In the history of the Senate, the record number of filibusters for any 2-year period of time has been 62--62 filibusters in a 2-year period. Last year, the Republican minority broke that record, smashed that record by initiating 62 filibusters in 1 year.…”