Political Quotes

“Mr. President, if my colleague from Tennessee has yielded, I will read a brief statement about what we are voting on. I encourage my colleagues to support S. Res. 116, which streamlines certain nominations through the Senate. Once again, I wish to thank my good friend and colleague, Senator Alexander, for his hard work on this resolution and his insight into the nomination process. I am grateful he is the ranking member of the Rules Committee. I thank the chairman and ranking members of the Homeland Security Committee, Senators Lieberman and Collins, for their steadfast dedication to the efforts to reform the way the Senate conducts business. Additionally, Leader Reid and Republican Leader McConnell gave their support in time to work through this package. Earlier today, we passed the first piece of the nomination reform package, S. 679, which eliminates certain positions from Senate confirmation. It is our hope this package thaws out this institution. The resolution passed through our committee, the Rules Committee, unanimously back in May--this resolution did--and it is a bipartisan effort. Now we are considering the corresponding resolution which streamlines other nominations. For certain nominations, once received, they will be placed in a new category of the calendar. At that point, the chair will send out the questionnaire. Once he or she certifies it has been returned, the nomination will move to a second new category on the calendar. It will sit there for 10 days.…”