Political Quotes

“when I first came to the Senate and when I served in the House, conference committees were an important part of the business we did here in Congress. But in recent years--very recent years--going to conference hasn't been what it used to be. Going to conference on a piece of legislation used to mean there would be serious discussions and compromises that generally produced a product that could be supported by Members of both parties. It was a real conference. Democrats sat down with Republicans and in a public forum determined what should happen on that bill. I can remember going to those conferences. They were tough, they were long, and there were a lot of compromises made. But that is what legislation is--the art of compromise. When we finished, we had a product that was supported by both parties. That is why we used to do appropriations bills like that. Why? As an example, Senator Domenici and I for many years were the chairman and ranking member of a very important subcommittee, energy and water. It was very important, billions and billions of dollars. We did our work as a subcommittee, but then we were able to meet and work these out in conference. That is why we came to the floor. We did the bill in a few hours because everyone had had their input. Sadly, under a Republican House and a Republican Senate, that is no longer the case. Here is an example: the budget conference resolution. There is all the chest-beating and flexing of muscles in the press.…”