Political Quotes

“Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, the Senate will shortly decide whether to invoke cloture on the fiscal year 2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. We have spent nearly 2 weeks debating this bill and working through approximately 85 amendments. We were making progress. We even had a vote on a nongermane amendment, which clearly would have fallen to a point of order had one been raised. So no one has been shut out of this process. Chairman Murray and I have repeatedly encouraged Senators to come to the floor, file, and debate their amendments to improve the bill we reported. It has been an open and transparent debate thus far, a return to regular order--something I have heard virtually everyone here urge us to do. Nevertheless, some Senators are intent on preventing this legislation from moving forward, despite the fact that this bill is not the final version of the transportation and housing appropriations bill. It is only one step in the process but an essential step--one that will allow the Senate to move forward and eventually negotiate with the House of Representatives to decide on a top line and to further improve the bill. A considerable number of my colleagues have advocated for the House funding level of $44 billion and have opposed the Senate bill.…”