Political Quotes

“It surely would. I am grateful to the Senator from Rhode Island for prosecuting the reform case. I have talked with Senator Grassley about it, and with Senator McCaskill and the Senator, and I think this is the time. There are two points with respect to the secret hold: one as it relates to the institution and one as it relates to an individual Senator. With respect to the institution, in this example, the Senator has given us scores of these secret holds. I think this serves to undermine the credibility of the institution at a crucial time in American history. It is no secret Americans are divided on a host of issues. Well, if the Senate insists on doing so much important business in secret--which is what happens if you honor these secret holds--I think that just undermines the institution. Because I think, first and foremost, you are absolutely right to zero in right now where we have all these secret holds. Secondly, with respect to an individual Senator, what seems particularly important--the Senator and I share an interest in health care and a variety of economic issues--suppose an individual Senator works for years and years to try to build a bipartisan coalition on an issue and then is done in by an unknown or secret opponent, an unknown, unseen opponent who has been able, in effect, to block all that bipartisan work in secret. So I want the Senator to know I am four-square behind his efforts to get this changed. Senator Grassley and I have been talking about it.…”