Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from Nevada [Mr. Reid] proposes an amendment numbered 4571 to amendment No. 4570. The amendment is as follows: At the end, insert the following: ``and the impact on the local community'' Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I opposed the motion to invoke cloture on the small business lending bill for several reasons, with the foremost being that it had become a vehicle for petty partisanship rather than a serious effort to extend a much-needed helping hand to America's small businesses. The manner in which this bill has been deliberated in the Senate has been both frustrating and disappinting to say the very least. The majority leader has brought this bill up for consideration and then moved off of it to consider other matters no less than six times since June 24. Furthermore, he has offered at least three different substitute amendments--each time filling the amendment tree and filing cloture--effectively choking off debate and prohibiting my colleagues and me on this side of the aisle from offering amendments. This should not be a partisan bill. In fact, as originally introduced, this measure enjoyed broad bipartisan support. The original version of this bill included many positive provisions.…”