Mike Conaway: “We're here during--I would not call it historic, because historical things simply happen every once in a while--a…”

“We're here during--I would not call it historic, because historical things simply happen every once in a while--a shutdown of our Federal Government. It's come because our colleagues on the other side of the building have simply taken an attitude of ``it's my way or the highway.'' That's a wonderful way to look at life. It rarely works in the life you and I live in and that most of our colleagues and our constituents live in back home. If you look at the Constitution by which we govern this country, it was a series of compromises--big States, little States, unicameral, bicameral. Across the board, there were compromises within that document that have allowed us to try to prolong and preserve this wonderful experiment that we call the American Dream and self- governance. This ``my way or the highway'' attitude that the leadership of the Senate has taken is calling that into question. The statements made over the last several days by the folks who support the leader in the Senate must make them feel really good. But to those of us on the receiving end of those comments, it is insulting to be treated this way. It is insulting to have every opportunity we've put over there to try to reach a compromise on this issue to have it simply dismissed out of hand, not taken up on its merits but simply looked at and said: Never mind. It's the lower body over there. We'll treat these folks like children. Their ideas are unworthy of consideration and unworthy of debate.…”