Charles W. Stenholm: “I want to say it is with a little bit of mixed emotion tonight that I address this body for the last time. I guess it…”

“I want to say it is with a little bit of mixed emotion tonight that I address this body for the last time. I guess it kind of came to me in a real way just a moment ago when my grandson, who is sitting beside me, asked me a moment ago, ``What are you going to be doing?'' I said, ``I am going to offer a motion.'' ``Are you going to win this one?'' I said ``No, we are not.'' And he said, ``Why?'' Well, that is a question that a 9-year-old would ask. It is also a question a lot of 50- and 60-year-olds ought to be asking. Why is it those of us on this side who used to vote with my colleagues on that side on fiscal restraint have been losing every single vote for the last 4 years? What is it that has changed? I listened to some of the rhetoric tonight, and I want to say with great respect tonight I recognize the right to have disagreements on this floor. It is so important that we do and that we do it without being disagreeable. But for the life of me I cannot understand how the majority can march in lockstep on this side and build up the largest fiscal deficits in the history of our country and explain it away in saying deficits really do not matter anymore.”