Political Quotes

“I rise to express my grave reservations about the rule proposed for consideration of H.R. 1. Although I strongly support the Congressional Accountability Act, and although I believe it was wise of the new leadership to bring up substantially the same bill that was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives last August, I strongly disapprove of the manner in which the majority has proposed considering this legislation. I understand the desire of the new Republican leadership to bring the Congressional Accountability Act to the floor today, to fulfill the promise made in the ``Contract With America.'' But voting on a major piece of legislation on the very day it is introduced, without having an opportunity to amend it is simply the wrong way to legislate--and Members on the other side of the aisle know that. In fact, our Republican colleagues have chastised Democratic members, more times than we would like to remember, for speeding bills to the floor before there had been adequate opportunity to review them, and for not allowing amendments to be offered to them. ``Gag rule'' was the term our Republican friends used to describe rules like the one before us now.…”