Byron Dorgan: “it has been kind of an interesting couple of days in the Senate, and I noticed in the newspaper this morning in the…”

“it has been kind of an interesting couple of days in the Senate, and I noticed in the newspaper this morning in the headlines the word ``gridlock,'' which I am sure will please some in this Chamber, because yesterday they were trying to persuade the press to use the word ``gridlock.'' They said what is happening in the Senate is gridlock. What happened yesterday was quite interesting. Those who suggest this is gridlock in the Senate came to the floor of the Senate yesterday, offered a piece of legislation and then, prior to any debate beginning on that legislation, the same people who offered the legislation filed a cloture motion to shut off debate that had not yet begun on a piece of legislation that had been offered only a minute before. Someone who does not serve in the Senate or does not understand the Senate rules might scratch their head and say, ``How on Earth could someone do that with a straight face? How could someone, without laughing out loud, offer a piece of legislation before debate begins, file cloture to shut off debate on a piece of legislation they have just now filed, and then claim that the other side is guilty of causing gridlock?'' Only in the Senate can that be done without someone laughing out loud at how preposterous that claim is. This is not gridlock.”