Political Quotes

“I rise to share a few comments on the votes that we are about to take. In particular, I am struck by the enormous amount of conversation over the last few days over how we make this body, our beloved Senate, work more effectively in addressing the big issues facing America. I think all of us have had the experience of our constituents back home recognizing that the last 2 years, and many years before, were ones that we had a particular growing element of paralysis that we had a responsibility to address. Tonight the Senate is going to be speaking in a bipartisan fashion and saying this cannot continue in the same way; that we need to take steps toward having a more functional Senate. I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone in this Chamber that I had hoped we would go a little further in addressing the silent filibuster that has been haunting us in these Halls. But here is the important thing. The important thing is that this Chamber is speaking tonight in a bipartisan voice, in a strong voice, saying we must take steps for this deliberation to work better. I think that message reverberates with the American people who are looking at the many challenges we face as a nation and who have been watching through the courtesy of C-SPAN and seeing that often, when they want us to be addressing these challenges, we are here in quorum calls.…”