Political Quotes

“There is no constitutional power for a leader. I love Mitch McConnell. He does not get to pick my amendments. Where did this come from? You just got elected. You have ideas. You ought to be able to come down here and advocate for your ideas. Traditionally, it has always been any Senator can offer an amendment. As Arlen Specter said to me: Well, I do not agree, but you are a Senator. You want your amendment, you get your amendment. That is the way the Senate is supposed to work. We will have done something dangerous if we get to the point where now I have got to go to Senator McConnell and plead with him, and then he has got to go to Senator Reid and say, well, Senator Sessions wants this amendment, he is insistent on it. Senator Reid would then have to approve and then he comes to me and he approves? Where did this come from? I am just telling you--you need to think about how the Senate is supposed to operate. It may take a few more votes; it will take some more votes. But that would be better than this process of groveling around here, pleading with somebody to give you a minute. Amendments--we have spent days, I think, since both of you have been here--think about it--days-- squabbling over amendments and not a single vote occurring. To my colleague from Oregon, would the Senator disagree with this?”