Too many of my Senate colleagues overdid it. They stayed on too long - napping through committee hearings when they should have packed up and gone home.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
There are times where the dysfunction in the Senate just goes too far.
I used to sit on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue and wonder why the Senate was always going into recess, until in my first year I realized how intense the pressure was.
I've had a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should. There is much too much partisanship and not enough progress.
Reform is not for the short-winded. I'm committed to making sure the Senate is more than just a graveyard for good ideas.
A funny thing happened on the way to the election - I got to the Senate first.
I put myself and all the members of Congress in the same boat of things that could have been done better.
Let's cause some senators distress.
My viewpoint is the Senate is dysfunctional.
The government shut down 12 times under Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill. It was only shut down twice while I was speaker.
It brings me back to reality. The combine doesn't care if you're a senator or not. It breaks down whenever it wants to break down.
No opposing quotes found.