Nancy Pelosi: “They just have not given it to President Clinton, because of the delay. They also talk about compassion. How many times…”

“They just have not given it to President Clinton, because of the delay. They also talk about compassion. How many times have we heard our colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle say neither party has a monopoly on compassion? Well, I say to them, my Republican colleagues, that compassion without a positive initiative for change and for action is an empty emotion. Sure, we are all compassionate, but what does that mean unless it translates into action to meet the needs of America's families, and certainly not to send them to work without paying them? They talk about the capital gains tax and say, 'Oh, President Clinton says he will support a capital gains tax.' President Clinton said he would be open to some capital gains tax, not the giveaway to the rich for any turnover of any asset that our Republican colleagues are advocating. Last of all, because I do not have any more time, I want to say the other contradiction that I hear is that they say that Congress should obey the rules that other people do. If that is the case, then Congress should not be receiving a paycheck at a time when other Federal workers are not. I call upon the Republican leadership to bring legislation to the floor to effect that. It has been proposed by our Democratic colleagues. So much to say, so little time.”