Political Quotes

“last Thursday, after Senators had been informed that there would be no more votes that day and after I had already headed for home to Vermont, Republicans came to the floor to propose a narrow procedural device in connection with the Republican juvenile crime bill, S.10. No one had advised me that the Senate Republican leadership planned to proceed to S.10 on Thursday. After a year of inaction on this bill-- which was voted on by the Judiciary Committee in July 1997--the Republicans did not even seek a response to their proposal. Instead, they rushed to the floor in ambush fashion. The failure of this Congress to take up and pass responsible juvenile crime legislation does not rest with the Democrats, and no procedural floor gimmick by the Republican majority can change that fact. Over the past year, I have spoken on the floor of the Senate and at hearings on several occasions about my concerns with this legislation. At the same time, I have expressed my willingness to work with the Chairman in a bipartisan manner to improve this juvenile crime bill. I am not alone in my criticisms and in wanting to see changes in this bill. It has been blasted by virtually every major newspaper in the United States.”