Political Quotes

“we are here facing yet another manufactured crisis with the vitally important PATRIOT Act provision set to expire in a matter of hours. In fact, we have less than 8 hours before the expiration of this critical national security program. That is what we are faced with. Tonight's deadline is certainly no surprise. As the junior Senator from Utah, a Republican, noted: ``We've known for four years that this deadline was approaching.'' Like so many other occasions in which brinksmanship has pushed the Senate and our Nation to the precipice, the dilemma we now face was completely avoidable. The job of the leader is to have a plan. In this case, it is clear the majority leader simply didn't have a plan. The majority leader had 5 months to introduce a bill from committee that would reform and extend the expiring PATRIOT Act provisions, but instead he bypassed the committees altogether and brought this to the floor unilaterally, with no committee hearing--none. The majority leader recently said no more rule XIVs, but that pledge has not lasted very long, has it. The majority leader had, I repeat, 5 months. In fact, my friend, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and a dean of the Senate, said this could have passed so easily in the last 2 years. The majority leader had 5 months during the time he has been the majority leader to coordinate with the House, which passed FISA reform weeks ago, but instead he went it alone.…”