Thomas Daschle: “I am sure I have a little time remaining. Let me just say no one wants to stomp their feet and get red in the…”

“I am sure I have a little time remaining. Let me just say no one wants to stomp their feet and get red in the face--certainly not me. That is not my style. If it has happened, it is only because the frustration level continues to mount. It is ironic that the majority leader uses the word ``cooperation'' so frequently because that irony has struck me to be the essence of the problem. There is so little opportunity for cooperation when the majority acts in the manner it has throughout this Congress. That is the problem--no cooperation. We are prepared to work through appropriations bills and to work through the authorization bills. He mentioned the need for cooperation. He also mentioned, I might add, the urgency of the emergency funding in these appropriations bills. The House begged the majority leader for cooperation on the emergency supplemental. The administration begged the majority leader for cooperation on the emergency supplemental. Many of us on the Democratic side urged the majority leader to cooperate on the emergency supplemental. But do you know what the majority leader said? I have decided there will not be any cooperation on the emergency supplemental. I have decided it will go piece by piece in appropriations bills, and you take it or leave it. I am not trying to get excited here. But let me just say as softly and as sincerely as I can: That is not cooperation. That is a Senate version of dictatorship that I think is unacceptable.”