Political Quotes

“before I start the closing script, I want it to be spread on the record that we have tried all day to come up with an agreement to move forward on this legislation, and we have been unsuccessful. This is a piece of legislation that is as bipartisan as is humanly possible. We have one of the most progressive Members of the Senate, Senator Boxer, and one of the most conservative Members of the Senate, Jim Inhofe, who are cosponsoring this legislation. It is a piece of legislation that continues the highway program, the surface transportation program. It is so needed. Yesterday, I had the director of the department of transportation in Nevada, Susan Martinavich, come in. I am confident that most Senators have had someone from their States here and had a conference. It will bring construction in Nevada to a standstill on our highways and bridges and some of the mass transit programs if we don't move forward. But we can't even get on the bill. I have agreed to do this unrelated amendment. My caucus agreed we will do these. We don't want to; they are not productive. They are message amendments, and they are not germane or relevant. But we will do a limited number of these bad amendments. There have been over 100 of them filed. I am at a loss for words as to what the Republicans expect me to do-- stand around for another week and look at each other? We started moving to this bill on February 7.…”