Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. President. Let me also extend my thanks to the Senator from Oklahoma for his cooperation and leadership. As he indicated very accurately, on a bipartisan basis, we considered numerous amendments. We were virtually unanimous at the conclusion of the committee deliberations in terms of bringing this bill to the floor. His staff and the Democratic staff were working all weekend to prepare a package of amendments, which we think can be accepted unanimously as an initial step in the process, the managers' package. Then, like Senator Inhofe, I would like to see a process where we have a series of amendments from both sides, adequate time to debate the amendment, and then a vote on the amendment as we move forward. Then we are hoping to be able to do so in a very deliberate and thoughtful way, and reach, we hope, in a timely manner, a point where we have discussed the major concerns of all of our colleagues, voted on many of them, and then ask for final passage of a bill that is worthy of passage. Each year we have done so. This will begin to set us on a path to conference with the House of Representatives and then a final conference report here. Once again, I thank the Senator from Oklahoma and concur that we would like to see--and so far, his cooperation and his leadership has engendered cooperation so we can have a series of amendments on the floor. With that, I yield the floor.”