On the recordJanuary 25, 2011
Well, certainly I will tell you that Senator Byrd stood on this floor and said the Senate cannot be bound by the dead hand of the past. You can imagine that any particularly bizarre rule that might have been passed by our predecessors that damaged our ability to fulfill our constitutional responsibilities would be inappropriate, and we would need to change it. The Constitution empowers us to change it with a simple majority. So when the point comes that the Senate is not functioning in the fashion it was constitutionally intended to function--that is, a simple majority to pass legislation--then we certainly have to wrestle with whether we are doing our responsibility if we do not fight to make the Senate work better. We have an obligation to this Chamber, and we have an obligation to our responsibilities under the Constitution.
