Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I have said many times. The Senate is too often a graveyard for good ideas. And the shovel is the broken filibuster. I want to thank Senator Merkley for his remarks about the need to reform the Senate rules. And I want to say a few words myself, because this issue continues to prevent this body from working for the American people. That is why we pushed for reform in the 112th Congress and in the 113th Congress. Some said it was just a power grab by the majority--a partisan push--nothing could be further from the truth. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, I think many Republicans are realizing the modern filibuster may need reform. Some of the same people who voted for, or supported, record numbers of filibusters in recent years are now complaining about the filibuster when Democratic Senators use it. Conservative commentators, House Members, and Republican Presidential candidates all are now talking about the filibuster. Several years ago, a number of senior Republican Senators said Senator Merkley and I would step back once we were in the minority. They said we would not try again, but we renewed our fight at the beginning of this Congress. We are in the minority today. We hope that does not last long, but we support filibuster reform--regardless of who is the majority leader. The American people want a government that works. Majorities will change, but the need for responsive government does not--at least it should not.…”