Byron Dorgan: “We are held up by people who believe somehow that this is not an emergency, this is not a priority, and that there are…”

“We are held up by people who believe somehow that this is not an emergency, this is not a priority, and that there are other issues more important. So they hold the Senate up. It has been that way now for nearly 2 weeks. We don't vote, we have no debate on the floor, and now we have a colleague today who comes to the Chamber and decides the problem is the majority leader, Senator Daschle. Nothing could be further from the truth. The problem is we have a handful of people in the Senate who are intent on serving as human brake pads to stop this place dead in its tracks. They have succeeded. While the country is worried about the emergency situation that exists as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks, as a result of an economy that clearly has serious problems, the Senate stands at parade rest. Why? Because a handful of people in the Senate have decided we should not move forward on the issue of aviation security.”