Frank Lautenberg: “the debate bounces back and forth, and we hear the complaints about the change in the system, one that has been in…”

“the debate bounces back and forth, and we hear the complaints about the change in the system, one that has been in existence for some 200 years. It was formally adopted in the early part of the 20th century. I see the fact that the traditions and rules of the Senate are, frankly, in deep jeopardy. The current majority leader is threatening to annihilate over 200 years of tradition in this Senate by getting rid of our right to extended debate. The Senate that will be here as a result of this nuclear option will be a dreary, bitter, far more partisan landscape, even though it obviously prevents us from operating with any kind of consensus. It will only serve to make politics in Washington much more difficult. One has to wonder, what happened to the claims that were made so frequently, particularly in the election year 2000, when then-candidate Bush, now President, talked about being a uniter, not a divider? It has been constantly referenced. ``I want to unite the American people, not divide them.'' With this abuse of power, the majority is about to further divide our Nation with the precision of a sledgehammer. I want the American people to understand what is going to happen on the floor of the Senate if things go as planned. Vice President Cheney, whom we rarely see in this Chamber, is going to come here for the specific purpose of breaking existing rules for the operation of the Senate.…”