Political Quotes

“Madam President, what the majority leader requested yesterday was not regular order. What would be consistent with regular order would be to send the Senate-passed budget over to the House of Representatives. And what the majority leader requested unanimous consent to do yesterday did not involve sending the American people to conference; it involved sending a small number of people to conference. And what the majority leader requested unanimous consent to do yesterday did not involve simply getting to a budget on which both Houses could agree. I do not think there is anyone here who would object to that--not one of us whom I am aware of. What we do object to--what I strongly object to--is any procedural trick that could be used to negotiate, behind closed doors in a backroom deal, an agreement to raise the debt limit or to raise taxes. The American people do not want that. They will not accept it, and frankly they deserve better. I have to admit I stood in a state of disbelief for a moment yesterday as I heard the majority leader say something to my friend, my colleague, the junior Senator from Texas. I at first assumed I must have misunderstood him because I thought I heard him utter words consistent with the suggestion that my friend, the junior Senator from Texas, was a schoolyard bully. I was certain the majority leader could not have meant that. He probably did not say that.…”