Almost everyone in the Senate was dog-tired but glowing with relief as lawmakers debated a clean air bill in the spring of 1990.
An unlikely coalition of Republicans loyal to the White House and Democrats controlling the Senate had managed to bring a compromise to the floor after many frantic, sleepless nights. Once cracks began showing in the dam that had held back action for years, it was hard to stop.
“You could feel the momentum shift,” said Elizabeth Letchworth, a former GOP Senate secretary. “That and a combination of exhaustion.”
