Political Quotes

“we have several items in wrapup in a little bit and a lot of activity is going on. Hopefully in 15 or 20 minutes we will be able to close the Senate. I come to the Senate to make a couple of statements. I begin with the very brief comment on the budget itself. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their tremendous efforts in bringing to a close passage of a budget resolution that this Senate can be very proud of. Overall management of the budget was superb. I thank Chairman Judd Gregg and Senator Kent Conrad for their leadership, for their patience on what is always a very difficult process that culminates in this vote-arama that we have been in from about 1:30 today up until about an hour ago. With these vote-aramas, everyone is on the floor and milling around, considering amendment after amendment. It is a challenge for all Senators, with tensions tending to rise. To have two cool heads calmly manage this bill is a real tribute to both of them. I thank them for their leadership. The budget itself is a tough budget. It is a disciplined budget. It restrains spending and tackles the deficit. It reflects our commitment to America's future and to making America stronger and safer and more economically sound. Like so many of the issues we tackled this year, it is not an easy process. It has not been a very easy process.…”