[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12398]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM TEXAS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have a few things to say in a minute, but 
first I want to say this: Before coming to the Senate and the House, I 
was a trial lawyer. I have tried over 100 cases to juries, and some of 
those cases were very difficult. During the time we were in court with 
the opponent attorney, it was very hard, but as I look back to those 
days, never after a case was completed were there any hard feelings 
between me and my adversary during the trial.
  The reason I mention that today is because I was thinking of my time 
here over the last few years. I have been in the Senate a long time. 
Someone else who has been here a long time, although not as long as I 
have, is the assistant Republican leader. He had a distinguished 
career, prior to coming here, in the law. He was a member of the Texas 
Supreme Court, and he was noted for being the lawyer that he is.
  I want to say to my friend--he is here on the floor today--that we 
have had our differences, and we speak about them often. Yesterday I 
criticized him for doing something that I thought was wrong and not in 
good keeping with the standards of the Senate, but I want everyone to 
know that my criticism of the senior Senator from Texas is not based on 
anything dealing with his character or integrity. I am going to 
continue criticizing him and others whom I feel are not living up to 
their responsibilities as a Member of the U.S. Senate.
  I just want the Record spread because a lot of my intention over the 
last several months has been directed toward the Senator from Texas. I 
want him to know that I appreciate his being on the floor today. I look 
back with--pride is maybe the wrong word--satisfaction about my time in 
the courtroom. Those were difficult cases that I had. When it was all 
over with, the feelings of the two attorneys were over with. There were 
no ill feelings. We would then move on to our next client. So I hope 
the Senator from Texas accepts my brief statement here in the manner 
that it is being offered.

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