Byron Dorgan: “The burden that might exist on anybody in this Senate--and especially a majority leader of the Senate--is a burden to…”

“The burden that might exist on anybody in this Senate--and especially a majority leader of the Senate--is a burden to get the work of the Senate done. We can't do the aviation security bill because we have a couple of people holding it up in the Senate. Why? Because they don't agree with some things. They have decided aviation security isn't urgent for this country. They could not be more wrong. The burden of the Senate is to pass appropriations bills. We have appropriations bills--in fact, we have more than a half dozen--I believe nine of them--some of which have yet to come to the floor of the Senate to be passed. In fact, very few appropriations bills have been completed at all. The appropriation subcommittee that I chair had the conferees appointed this week from the House on a bill they passed in June. Think of that. Months and months of stalling, not even appointing conferees to an appropriations bill. The point is that the majority leader can't bring an appropriations bill to the floor of the Senate.”