Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I want to speak for a couple of minutes, until another speaker arrives on the other side. If I might, I want to elaborate on where these discussions are that we have been having with regard to getting a result and a solution that I think actually could get enacted and become law. Since we first had this vote a couple days ago, I have been in conversations, along with Senator Klobuchar from Minnesota, Senator Coburn, and Senator Feinstein, the sponsors of this amendment, to see if there isn't some way we can find something we could actually do that would accomplish what probably many of them would like to see accomplished but doing it in a way that is not disruptive, that is a thoughtful approach to the future of the biofuels industry, and that actually does something meaningful in terms of dealing with the debt and deficit. Those discussions continue. I think we continue to get closer and closer to an agreement. I hope my colleagues will continue to talk and discuss this matter. We will continue those discussions after the vote at 2 o'clock. I say that to let my colleagues know that even though this particular vote is going to amend a piece of legislation that perhaps isn't going to go anywhere--and certainly this amendment, because it is a blue slip and has a constitutional issue, isn't going to go anywhere--there are earnest discussions going on that I hope will yield a result. Again, in my view, there is a better way to do this.…”