Political Quotes

“lobbying and ethics reform, the most significant change in the history of the country, has been passed by the House and the Senate. Why is it not signed into law? Because the Republicans are stopping us from going to it. There are all kinds of excuses they are using. The latest excuse is they want the provision dealing with earmarks in this bill--the amendment passed 98 to nothing--they want that set out separately. But that is a ploy; it is a diversion. They do not want to go to the meat of this bill. They have blocked this now for weeks. The Senator from South Carolina, who was the last to come and block this important legislation from going forward, I know thinks earmarks are important. I do too. Earmark reform is important. But it is in this bill. Earmark reform is in it. It is hard to believe that his objection isn't anything more than a smokescreen to prevent us from making progress on the rest of the bill. Here are the facts: No one has any intention of taking out the earmark disclosure provisions in the bill. It is a fantasy. Second, Senate Democrats have already imposed earmark provisions through the committees. Right now, anyone with an Internet connection can go on line to the Senate Web site and find earmarks and earmark sponsors in appropriations bills that the press has reported. I repeat: Anyone who can go on the Internet can find out what the earmarks are on any bill that has been reported out of any one of our committees.”