Political Quotes

“I am proud of the action taken by the Senate today. This vote was what serving in the Senate is really about--having the courage to do what is right, refusing to pass the buck to the States, standing up to special interest groups and voting our conscience. Once it become obvious that proponents of this constitutional amendment planned to use the annual surpluses in the Social Security trust fund to mask the true deficit, the so-called balanced budget amendment was doomed. If this vote had been a secret ballot, it would have been lucky to get 40 votes. This is a lesson in why you don't amend the Constitution by taking a poll. I have commended many of my colleagues for voting against the so-called balanced budget amendment. In particular, I believe that the senior Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Byrd] and the senior Senator from Oregon [Mr. Hatfield] should be commended. They were true profiles in courage and the country is indebted for their courageous leadership.”