Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the so-called jobs legislation that is before the Senate this afternoon and to express my grave concerns with the direction this bill has taken over the past few weeks. Several of my Finance Committee colleagues on both sides of the aisle put a lot of time and effort into creating a compromise jobs bill that Chairman Baucus and Senator Grassley were trying to move forward. Indeed, I had high hopes that we might help thaw the partisan freeze that has gridlocked this chamber for far too long. Unfortunately, our efforts and hopes have been dashed by the majority leader's inexplicable decision to gut our bill and replace it with a piece of legislation that replaces cooperation with contention. Further exacerbating matters, the Democratic leadership has filled the amendment tree, thus preventing anyone from being able to offer amendments that would improve the underlying bill. So much for compromise. As a longtime public servant of this great deliberative body, I can't recall a decision that exhibited as much raw political gamesmanship as this one does. The Democratic leadership is stifling the first genuine attempt at cooperation on a major issue--a move that bodes ill for bipartisanship for the remainder of this Congress. Given what is happening with this jobs bill, how can we in the minority have faith that we won't be excluded from debate on future legislation such as health care and energy legislation?…”