Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the dysfunction of the Senate, the rules of this governing body, and what we need to do to change them in order to take on the big challenges we face as a Nation. These last 2 years have created an unprecedented sense among the American people that Congress isn't measuring up to the needs of our time. This is especially troubling when we are up against tremendous challenges: the most profound jobs crisis in a generation; skyrocketing income inequality; and a tax system that unfairly rewards the wealthy and well-connected over working Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. But unfortunately, we can't tackle this jobs crisis or the problem of inequality until this body, our revered Senate, restores the ability to debate, deliberate and decide on strategies to take our Nation forward. I believe that reforming the filibuster is one of the most critical steps we can take to repair the Senate and rebuild confidence in Congress's ability to govern. When I first came to the Senate, it was 1976. What I saw then could hardly have been farther from the Senate of today. Routine use of the ``filibuster''--or to put it differently, a routine use of an objection to a simple majority vote--has turned the U.S. Senate into a supermajority body. In short, the U.S.…”