Bill Flores Quotes

This has not been a legislative process worthy of the Senate. Members of the Judiciary Committee, as I just said, were implored to save their amendments for the floor. Then, when we got here, we were told no amendments could be accepted.

A majority of senators should be able to adopt rules at the beginning of each Congress.

It used to be in the Senate that if you were filibustering, you stood up. There was a physical dimension to it, that you - when you became exhausted you would have to leave the floor. That was the idea of the filibuster.

But if I had committed a breach of privilege, it was the privilege of the Senate, and not of this House, which was violated. I was answerable there and not here.

Filibusters have proliferated because under current rules just one or two determined senators can stop the Senate from functioning. Today, the mere threat of a filibuster is enough to stop a vote; senators are rarely asked to pull all-nighters like Jimmy Stewart in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.'

Nobody claims that every treaty is entitled to an up or down vote. Nobody claims that every proposed law is entitled to an up or down vote. Why is a judicial nomination entitled to an up or down vote? The Constitution gives the complete power to the Senate to set its own rule.

The leaders of the Senate ... have no power delegated to them except on the basis of courtesy, accommodation, and a sense of responsibility.

Anyone who works in the Senate is often in doubt as to the will of the Senate.

The Senate is not a rubber stamp!

Anybody who get easily frustrated should not be in the United States Senate. We operate by unanimous consent …. Any Senator can stop the train.

…the plebeians and the Senate of Rome were often at strife with each other concerning the enactment of laws, the canceling of debts, the division of lands, or the election of magistrates.

If somebody feels strongly enough to be willing to stop the Senate, he should at least be required to be on the floor and explain why.

The filibuster has only been around for 2564 years.

The filibuster is the most important check on raw Presidential power.

Eliminating the filibuster would eliminate the people’s voices in the Senate.

The history of Congress shows that once parliamentary tools become big enough obstacles for the majority party, they are abolished or reformed.

No one ever built the filibuster rule. It just kind of was created.

I think the thing that's impressed me the most has been the fantastic professionalism of the officials in the Senate.

The only tool the Democrats have is in the Senate, and it's the filibuster.

When a nominee doesn't get 60 votes, you shouldn't change the rules, you should change the nominee.

Filibuster is a harsh word. I prefer to offer amendments and let others filibuster.

The Vice President breaks ties in the Senate. In our 200 years of history there have been about 200 ties broken so you can see what an important job it is.

I wish to make a unanimous-consent request, the necessity of which I find incredible. I ask unanimous consent to use hand calculators on the Senate floor.... I understand that the rules are so ancient that the ability to use these calculators except by unanimous consent seems to be in doubt.

There is no question on earth on which a Senator of the United States may not want to address himself.

No check is necessary on a Legislature composed as the national Legislature would be, with two branches—an upper and a lower House.