Political Quotes

“Mr. President, reclaiming my time, I can't help but note the irony that Senator Boxer, who has done so much to protect special places in California and around our country and who at the same time has consistently worked with our colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe, on infrastructure--that here they are, after once again coming together--and everybody practically slaps their forehead: How in the world can Senator Boxer and Senator Inhofe keep coming together on all of these kinds of issues? It is because they are real legislators. They are people who don't just throw out press releases, they write legislation. It is hard. It is a heavy lift. This bill was not easy. To think that Senator Boxer is here on the last night of her time in public service, after she has protected all of these special places and then worked with Senator Inhofe on infrastructure, and we are still faced with this one last hurdle. I have seen a lot of ironies in the Senate. This is just about as dramatic an irony as I have seen. To me, we have had wonderful statements. My colleague from Oregon laid out very clearly how this rider would compromise good science. That is what this is about. Senator Merkley, who knows much more about these subjects, frankly, than I do, went through the biological opinions one by one, the key sections. But the bottom line is, it is compromising good science.…”