Political Quotes

“what the Democratic leader has just suggested is allowing us to vote on welfare reform, but what the Democratic leader has insistently refused to do is to allow that bill to go to conference. Of course, a bill passage means nothing unless there can be a final resolution on that legislation. So what we are being told is they will give us an apparent victory of passing legislation with no end in sight. The idea that somehow or another we are going to have a final resolution--I think the words of the Senator from South Dakota were ``final resolution''--is simply not accurate. Passing a bill that has already been passed by the House gets basically put in limbo until we go to conference. The Democratic leader has been very clear about not moving this bill to conference. So let's be perfectly clear, we are absolutely ready--in fact, I will offer a unanimous consent. We are absolutely ready to give votes on issues of importance to the Democrats and, as I said before, we are willing to pay a ransom. But we want to make sure we get our victims back, and the victims in this case are the welfare reform bill and FSC/ETI.”