Orrin Hatch: “this is really an amazing moment, as far as I can see. Sometimes, for those watching on C-SPAN, the Senate, with its…”

“this is really an amazing moment, as far as I can see. Sometimes, for those watching on C-SPAN, the Senate, with its unique rulings, can seem like a pretty arcane place. The impact of unanimous consent requests is not something ordinary folks talk about, so let me put this in plain English. The Senate's Republican leader has just made a remarkable offer to our friends on the other side, the Democrats. We hear all the time from the left that Republicans refuse to do anything in the Senate, which certainly is mind-boggling. Remember this episode the next time you hear that. My friend and colleague, the Senator from Kentucky and the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, presented this body with an opportunity to take a stand, to take a vote--two votes, as a matter of fact--to show the American people our cards on the most important issue facing this country: the coming fiscal cliff. In exchange for a vote on the amendment I introduced to extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax relief for 1 year, the Republican leader agreed to a vote on the President's counteroffer that would increase taxes on families and small businesses. You heard that right. The Republican leader offered a vote on President Obama's plan to raise taxes, and the Democratic leader rejected this offer. That is mind-boggling to me.…”