Byron Dorgan: “It is in my judgment rather unseemly at this moment, given what is happening in this country, for this Senate…”

“It is in my judgment rather unseemly at this moment, given what is happening in this country, for this Senate effectively to be at parade rest-- standing, sitting, waiting, doing nothing. We have appropriations bills that need to come to the floor of the Senate. They have been through the Appropriations Committee, but we cannot get them to the floor of the Senate because we have people objecting. The other side says they don't want the Senate to do its business at this point, so they object. This appropriations bill is foreign operations. It is a critically important piece of legislation dealing with issues such as the security of our Embassies. Does anyone wonder at this moment and at this time, given the security threats we face at virtually every Embassy around the world, staffed by American citizens, whether we ought to wait to pass legislation dealing with Embassy security? I don't think there is not great cause for me to wonder. Of course we should.”