Political Quotes

“I want to echo the words of my colleague from Wyoming with regard to the whole issue of the Senate rules. I come from the House of Representatives. I came to the Senate having first served in the House of Representatives, three terms there. The House of Representatives, of course, is very structured. There is a Rules Committee. If someone wants to get an amendment considered, debated, voted on in the House of Representatives, there is a process. They have to go plead their case to the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee can decide, no, we are not going to allow that amendment to be considered; we are not going to allow that amendment to be debated. They can decide which amendments are offered in what order and how much time is allowed on each amendment. It is a very structured process in the House of Representatives, but it makes it very difficult for an individual Member to be able to have their voice heard in the House of Representatives. That is the way it works. I had the luxury, I guess, while I was serving there of being in the majority. But even in the majority a lot of times I could take what I thought was a very worthwhile amendment, reflective of the views of the people who sent me there to represent them, and they could shoot it down. I never got a chance to have that amendment debated or voted on. That is what is distinctive about the Senate.…”