Political Quotes

“Mr. President, it has been the tradition of this Chamber, when there are rules proposals, to put them on the floor for debate and to hold that debate. Then if the body does not like that, either to defeat them outright or to table them or refer them to committee for further work. Indeed, under the Constitution, it is in order for us to have a debate now as a simple majority to amend our rules. The Constitution calls for a supermajority for impeachments, a supermajority for treaties, but it calls for a simple majority to amend our rules and to organize ourselves. Many Members of this body often talk about the Constitution, and it is the Constitution we are talking about right now when it calls for a simple majority to be able to organize. So that is why, in 1953, the Senate debated Senator Anderson's resolution, eventually defeating it by tabling it. That is why, in 1957 and in 1959, they proceeded to put it on the floor--both sides agreeing that it was appropriate under the Constitution to have the debate in this Chamber--and then to either approve or to vote down or to table or to refer to committee. Then, in 1961, Anderson's rule proposal to make cloture three-fifths present and voting was referred to committee. So it was defeated again, but it was debated and referred to committee. Then the committee returned it to the floor for further debate. No one objected to us holding a debate. In fact, here is the irony.…”