Harry Reid: “I haven't known Senator Coburn very long. I didn't know him when he served in the House. During his tenure in the Senate…”

“I haven't known Senator Coburn very long. I didn't know him when he served in the House. During his tenure in the Senate I found him to be a most gracious person. I like him. I had the good fortune of having served for many years on the Ethics Committee. I am sure there may have been a person or two in the past who served longer than I have, I just don't know, though, who they were. One of the most important responsibilities I have, and I think Senator Frist has, is putting people on the Ethics Committee. There are six Senators on the Ethics Committee, three Democrats and three Republicans. It ia a very difficult job. The ethics code is large and voluminous. They have an outstanding staff. Senator Voinovich and Senator Johnson are the two leaders of that committee and work with the other four members. Having been there, I want everyone here to know they spend hours and hours each week of their time. What do they do? They protect us. They handle complaints that come from the public. They handle complaints that come from other sources. Their job is very difficult. In the past few weeks--certainly, I will not disclose any names; I could not do that, it would be unethical to do so--they have resolved some very big cases in the Ethics Committee. These six Senators deserve our support. If we are going to overrule the Ethics Committee, we might just as well get rid of the Ethics Committee. That would be a terrible disaster for this institution.…”