Political Quotes

“I was not comfortable with that vote, particularly because it placed me at cross purposes with the leadership on this side of the aisle in their campaign to assure fair treatment of the minority. But I took the position I did in the context of the long-standing practice I have followed since I first came to the Senate in 1961. And that practice is simply to support termination of debate except in extraordinary circumstances and to allow a majority of the Senate to work its will. Over the 34 years that I have served in the Senate, I have cast 327 votes in favor of cloture, and some 55 of those were cast when our party was in the minority. But in the same period I have always reserved the right to support continued debate--or at least not voting for cloture--when there were clear and extraordinary circumstances which called for extended deliberations. Indeed, there have been some 32 occasions in which I either paired or, as in two cases, voted against cloture, or was absent. In the future, I expect to continue my longstanding practice of voting for cloture.”