Political Quotes

“I rise to continue the debate on this set of rule proposals, but specifically to talk about the talking filibuster. There is one scene from an American movie that captures everyone's attention, and that is the scene of Jimmy Stewart here in the well of the Senate holding forth to make his case before his colleagues and before the American people to stop a corrupt act designed to destroy a camp for children. That is Jimmy Stewart in the role of Jefferson Smith in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.' He wasn't making some behind-the-scenes move, some backroom deal; he was out in front of the American people. That is why we have brought both the end of secret holds and the end of secret filibusters to the floor today. The concept of the talking filibuster is that the American people believe when you filibuster, you are making a personal action, a courageous action, a public action, with personal time and energy, to stand up and say what you think needs to be said and to fight for what you need to fight for to make your State or this Nation or this world a better place. But this is not what the filibuster has become in modern times. Folks object to closing debate and they go off to dinner, have a glass of wine or two while they paralyze the Senate. It happened 136 times in the last 2 years.”