Howard Berman: “I would recommend he go see a movie called The Producers, a Mel Brooks film, where two guys are putting together a play…”

“I would recommend he go see a movie called The Producers, a Mel Brooks film, where two guys are putting together a play they were sure would be a flop. It was called Springtime for Hitler. They sold 1,000 percent of the play, knowing it would fail, but it turned out the play was a big hit, and now they have to deal with all the people they had promised this. As the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) pointed out, a deal was made between the authorizers of both Houses in the majority party and the appropriators to deduct $109 million because of the offsets of the money that we have paid. We can get into a great debate about whether we should have done that, but it was done. The authorization plan lays out in tranches, contingent on certain reforms, this payment schedule. Last year the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman Rogers) appropriated $100 million as the first tranche. Now we are having the second tranche. Next year will be the third tranche. The total figure comes to somewhere around $800 and something million. It already deducts the $109 million. To do this now is to sell the same deal once again, double the amount of the offset, over what it legitimately should be.”