Both of these senators managed the expectations game brilliantly. They laid low, they learned the Senate, they waited to get their assignments from the leadership, and they hit 'em out of the park.

The bill ended up stalling on the Senate desk after senators closed their session early last week.

We commend Senators [Michael] Enzi and [Edward] Kennedy and their colleagues for their leadership in the Senate and ensuring that this much-needed relief (ensuring the equitable and religiously sensitive treatment of parochial schools) was contained in the appropriations package.

Today, the Senate took an important step forward in cutting the deficit. I commend Senate leadership and the other senators who supported this spending-reduction legislation,

If the Senate fails to act and move forward on those nominees,

In the bill that was introduced in the Senate, in the bill that I introduced along with some members, we preserve the tactical intelligence part of the equation, ... And so, I hope we can change their minds.