Zoe Lofgren: “Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson) spoke what he thought was accurate, but I do…”

“Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson) spoke what he thought was accurate, but I do not believe it is, in fact, accurate. I understand from our staff on the Democratic side that there has been no discussions at all at a staff level since October. There has been discussion about all of these negotiations that are going on behind closed doors. No one has spoken to me, and I am a member of the committee. No one has spoken to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) and she is a member of the conference committee. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) has tried very mightily and in good faith, and I believe that the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) is also operating in good faith, trying to find a way for us to reach conclusion, but that is over. We are not getting anywhere. It may be that we will not, in fact, be able to find common ground but I do know this: If we never talk to each other, if we never have a meeting, if we never share in public what we think, then we will never get to where the country needs us to be.”