Kerry: Republican floor tactics are 'cynical, craven, and dangerous'

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on Wednesday decried floor tactics from Senate Republicans that he says are unlike anything he has seen in his 27 years in the upper chamber.

"Everything we try to do, the folks on that side of the aisle make us take longer and longer and longer than we've ever taken before because they push every single procedural objection possible," said Kerry.

"They have consistently pursued a strategy aimed at gridlock to make Americans see the dysfunction and then blame it on the party in power and run against them," he continued. "It's the most cynical, craven, and dangerous policy that I've ever seen in the 27 years that I've been here in the Senate. And I regret it for our country."

In recent days, Senate Republicans used procedural tactics to force the Democratic-controlled chamber to cancel its Independence Day recess and drop a bill co-authored by Kerry that would have authorized military action in Libya.

Republicans twisted the arms of Democratic leadership into taking up legislation that deals with reducing the deficit instead. 

In his speech Wednesday, Kerry said Republicans' complaints about the Senate's inaction on budget issues amount to "crocodile tears."