Kent Conrad: “I believe it reflects well on both sides of the aisle and the leadership on both sides of the aisle. I think neither…”

“I believe it reflects well on both sides of the aisle and the leadership on both sides of the aisle. I think neither side of the aisle is fully satisfied. There are problems in this agreement, as there are problems in any agreement, but it is a very good first start. The hard reality is that the elected membership of this body is split 50/50. The elected membership, Senators, are split 50/50. So one would anticipate that the membership of the committees would be split 50/50. This is a result of an election. The people of our country have spoken. They have chosen who serves here, who represents them in this Chamber, and it is their decision that has determined the result. There has been much discussion of the Constitution and the Vice President's role. It is absolutely the case that under our Constitution the Vice President breaks ties. Those are ties on the floor of the Senate. The Vice President doesn't break ties in committees. So I think the arrangement that has been worked out between the two leaders is the only logical conclusion to which one could come.”