Political Quotes

J. Exon: “If we prohibit them, what would be the result? Frankly, I do not think very much, because Senators would, as a…”

On the recordMay 20, 1996
If we prohibit them, what would be the result? Frankly, I do not think very much, because Senators would, as a substitute, offer small changes in dollars in a regular amendment with some very long statements of the purpose. There is no way, I suggest, to get out of such votes, whether they are sense of the Senate or not. In a way, I will simply say as much as we all may find sense-of-the-Senate amendments a bother to deal with, the alternative may actually be worse. Sense-of-the-Senate amendments allow the Senate to let off steam on a particular subject without actually spending any more money or, even better, making more laws that have not been thought through. Sometimes that can be a useful thing just to let off steam.
Said by
J. Exon
Democratic · Nebraska
Source
govinfo.gov

Editor's note · Context

Opposing an amendment to prohibit sense-of-the-Senate amendments during Senate debate.

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