Political Quotes

“It wasn't too many years ago that sessions of the Senate were much shorter than they are now. During the summertime, the months of July and August, people went home because it was so hot. They simply couldn't handle the heat in this building and this town. But that has changed now with air-conditioning. We still traditionally take August as our break. We do it for good reason. There are a lot of things we have to do to catch up on work at home. Senators have to travel throughout their States to catch up on things. The State of Nevada, for example, is the seventh largest State area-wise in the country. Seventy percent of the people live in Las Vegas; 20 percent live in Reno. But the other 10 percent are entitled to representation in the Senate, as are the two metropolitan areas. In addition, we have important obligations around the world. August is set aside as a time when Members travel around the world to check assets our country has and obligations through treaties and other things. The reason I mention that is we have a lot of work to do. This is a work period of 4 short weeks, and we hope it is 4 short weeks. It wasn't but a month ago when Members of this body and the House were criticizing the Iraqi Parliament for taking their summer vacation because they hadn't done the work they were supposed to do. The American people are looking at us--not the Iraqi Parliament, the American Congress--to make sure we also do our work.”