On the recordOctober 1, 2002
Two reasons: One, some of their Senators would have to vote for it because it is such a good amendment; they know some of them are yearning to vote for it so they get to vote. Secondly, if it got enough votes, they would have to filibuster it--``they'' being the other side of the aisle--because it would then be an amendment that the environmentalists who don't support it would insist that their Members on that side vote against. It is the strangest kind of filibuster you ever saw. It is a filibuster so as to never let an amendment pass so that the majority won't have to vote on it. And if it were to pass, they would have to filibuster it. So they are clean and blaming us for the filibuster.
Said by
Pete Domenici
Source
govinfo.gov