Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I note, as we have discussed privately, that there will not be a perfect piece of appropriations legislation, I say to my friend from Mississippi, from anyone's point of view. It is not precisely what he would write if he were to write it solely by himself; it is not precisely what I would write if I wrote it solely by myself, and we could say that with the other 98 men and women in this body. At some point, when you are down to the last few hours of the session, we have to allow the committee system and the leadership system to work, where senior Members, especially of appropriations, where senior Members in both parties, in both bodies have to come together and reach an agreement, realizing that not every single Member on the left or on the right is going to like it. But you have to trust at some point some question of seniority in putting this together. I didn't care much for the seniority system when I came here 23 years ago, but having studied it for 23 years, I understand it so much better now.”