Political Quotes

“tomorrow we will return to the Agriculture appropriations bill. This bill was laid down last Thursday and we resumed that bill today. Unfortunately, Members did not take advantage of their opportunity to offer amendments during those 2 days. I very much appreciate the Democratic leader, on behalf of one of his colleagues, offering an amendment a few minutes ago. I am prepared to tell the managers that if no one comes to offer amendments, we should go to third reading and passage of the bill. We give Senators the opportunity to offer amendments, they say they are going to offer amendments in the future, and they do not come to the floor. That leaves us with the only alternative, which is going to third reading and passage of the bill. We will talk to the committee and see if we can vote on the amendment that the Democratic leader just introduced prior to the policy recess. But having said that, I do need to forewarn all of our colleagues that the managers on these appropriations bills, both the ones over the last 2 weeks as well as the Agriculture appropriations bill we are dealing with, are very patient. They have been very patient. They stay on the floor throughout the day, and they are here many nights and Mondays and Fridays, waiting for our colleagues to offer the amendments that they say they want to offer. It is now time for people to get very serious and come over and, if they have amendments, to offer those amendments.…”