William Helms: “during the final 2 or 3 days prior to the Senate's Easter recess, the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Mitchell, and…”

“during the final 2 or 3 days prior to the Senate's Easter recess, the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Mitchell, and Senator Kennedy, conducted another one of those--I am not sure what you call it but I am going to call it a filibuster for the lack of a better descriptive word. They were careful to blame others for delaying the Senate when in fact it was they who were holding up the Senate's work. The record will show it was the majority leader, at the urging of Senator Kennedy, who delayed the departure of Senators for the Easter recess--a recess, mind you, that had been scheduled and announced early in the year by the majority leader, and a recess for which most Senators had made travel plans on the assumption that the majority leader would not keep the Senate in session in anything resembling a power grab unbecoming to the Senate. Madam President, the record should be made clear on what happened in the hope--perhaps a vain hope--that the majority leader will not again allow this injustice to his fellow Senators.”