Political Quotes

“Mr. President, it is our intention to work on setting up additional votes this afternoon following the vote on the DeMint amendment No. 510. Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment offered by my colleague from Louisiana, Senator Vitter. As you know, the underlying bill is the product of a bipartisan gentlemen's agreement reached earlier this year that seeks to streamline and otherwise improve the efficiency of the Senate's confirmation process. The Senator from Maine, the Senator from Tennessee, the Senator from Connecticut, and myself, as well as the leaders, Leader Reid and Leader McConnell, have been heavily involved in this process. The amendment offered by Mr. Vitter runs counter to the spirit of comity behind this important bill. It is a poison pill designed to handcuff the President's ability to assemble a team of topflight advisers and aides. The amendment is nothing new. It has been introduced several times in several iterations. Now is the time to move forward. It is one of those moments when we can bridge the partisan divide and make the Senate a more efficient body. It is not the time or place to relitigate old and, frankly, silly political battles about so-called czars. It is our constitutionally mandated duty as Senators to ensure that the most important positions in government are confirmed in a timely manner.…”