John Kerry: “I simply point out to my colleagues that this is an amendment to a Republican amendment, and the Republican amendment…”

“I simply point out to my colleagues that this is an amendment to a Republican amendment, and the Republican amendment which consumed most of yesterday afternoon has nothing to do with this legislation. I happen to support the Republican amendment. So the Republicans have exercised their right of coming to the floor in order to attach to this legislation something they thought was important and, in fairness, that right ought to also lie, as it always has through the centuries of the Senate, with the other side. So I think it is inappropriate at this point, only several days into this, to be complaining about the fact that there are some amendments that some deem to be relevant but not germane, or germane but not relevant, whichever the case may be. The Senator also asked somebody to look them in the eye and say they want to pass this legislation and they are not delaying it. I will look them in the eye if they are here and I will tell them I want to pass this legislation and I am not delaying.”