Political Quotes

“Mr. President, earlier today I voted against invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to a 6-month spending bill, a stopgap measure, and I wish to explain to my colleagues and my constituents why I voted that way. I am deeply disappointed that the Senate has been unable to complete the annual appropriations bills on time before the start of the new fiscal year. This is a failure that only reinforces the public's perception of gridlock in Washington. It is not as if the start of a fiscal year is a surprise to Members of this body. It happens every year on October 1. We know the spending authority is going to run out and we know one of the most important responsibilities of the Congress is to pass the appropriations bills. While the House of Representatives has managed to pass 7 of the 12 annual spending bills, the Senate majority leader regrettably has not brought a single regular appropriations bill to the Senate floor for consideration. It is important to note that the Senate Appropriations Committee did its job. Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Inouye and Vice Chairman Cochran, we have reported 11 of the 12 appropriations bills, in many cases with strong bipartisan support. For example, as the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, I worked very closely with the subcommittee's chairman, Senator Patty Murray, to craft a truly bipartisan bill for fiscal year 2013.…”