Political Quotes

“I have spoken with the White House, I have spoken with the Republican leader, and we have agreed on a way forward based on the President's speech last night. As the President told the Nation last night, the President has asked Congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force in Syria and pursue instead a diplomatic path to see if that works. Tomorrow sometime, in Geneva, Secretary Kerry is meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. So it is right that the Senate turn from the Syria resolution while the Secretary of State pursues these important diplomatic discussions. As I said this morning, Congress will be watching these negotiations very closely. If there is any indication that they are not serious, or that they are being used as a ploy for delay, then the Congress stands ready to return to the Syria resolution to give the President the authority to hold the Asad regime accountable for the pain, suffering, and death it caused with those chemical weapons. In the meantime, the Republican leader and I have agreed the Senate will return to the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill. Senator Shaheen, Senator Portman, and the chairman of the committee, Senator Wyden, have talked to me many times over a period of more than a year to move this legislation forward. So I think it is appropriate that, rather than us sit here and tread water, doing nothing, we should move forward on this legislation.…”