Political Quotes

“I appreciate my friend, the Republican leader, coming to the floor and objecting to this rather than having someone do it. He gave his explanation, and I appreciate that. It would have been easy for anyone on the other side to object, and I appreciate his laying out the reasons. But I would say this is not the way to negotiate on the Senate Floor. We have tried. Senator Rockefeller supported the Senate position. I didn't, but Senator Rockefeller did and a number of Democrats supported the Senate-passed position and that was something Senator Rockefeller recognizes. As a result of that, he has tried very hard--February, March, and, of course, he is also working in April--to try to work something out. But as I indicated, he has called meetings and Republicans would not come. Even the people leading the committee, Senator Bond and others, wouldn't show up for the meetings to try to work something out. Initially, the White House directed none of its people to come. It is a little tough to work something out when that is, in fact, what is happening. The House must be involved. As I have indicated, that is the Constitution. We pass a lot of things the House disagrees with. They pass things there that we disagree with. No matter how foolish they may think we are or we think they are, we have to work together and get things passed. That is where we are with this legislation.”