Political Quotes

“Mr. President, that is exactly the sequence of things. We have been in contact with the White House throughout the night. We have made several phone calls to the White House. We told them we are willing to allow a vote on the Brennan nomination. All we ask in return is that we get a clear implication of whether they believe they have the authority under the Constitution to target Americans on American soil. I think it is a question that is fair to ask, and we have been willing to let them have the vote at any time either earlier tonight, obviously, as well as in the morning. All we ask in return from the White House is a clarification. The last report I got from the White House is that they were done talking tonight. I hope that doesn't mean they are done talking tomorrow. I think this struggle is an important struggle, and I think there needs to be clarification from the White House before this goes forward. This is a point in time when the question has been raised. I think it is important for them to answer the question, and the fifth amendment is not optional. They don't get to choose to adhere to the fifth amendment. This applies to U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, and there are no exceptions to that. Without yielding time, I would like to entertain a question from the Senator from South Dakota. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Heitkamp). The Senator from South Dakota.”