Christopher Shays: “I have not asked for my 5 minutes, but I will just say that we have strayed a bit from the amendment, and I am concerned…”

“I have not asked for my 5 minutes, but I will just say that we have strayed a bit from the amendment, and I am concerned that we have the potential for hundreds of amendments, so we maybe should try to come to a debate on certain amendments and then go on to the next amendment. We can still make some of the same points, because they are related. But what the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) proposes is to strike the severability clause, which basically says that if any provision in this act or amendment made by this act, or the application or the provision or amendment to any person or circumstances is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this act and amendments made by this act, and so on, are still constitutional and remain in effect. That is a clause that is in most bills. It was in the congressional accountability bill, under the Contract With America, voted for by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) and other Republicans, all other Republicans. It was in H.R. 65, the Victim Restitution Act. The gentleman from Texas voted for that as well. It was in the Regulatory Transition Act of 1995 as well as in our Contract With America. This was introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Tom DeLay). It is the same severability clause, and it passed as well.”