Eleanor Holmes Norton: “Well, I thank you, Mr. Hoyer. It was a very special pleasure to yield to the man who is second in the Democratic…”

“Well, I thank you, Mr. Hoyer. It was a very special pleasure to yield to the man who is second in the Democratic leadership here in the House. And I think that it was particularly appropriate, as we close out this session, for our Democratic Whip, a Democratic leader, to come to the floor to remind us of unfinished business. It was a great pleasure to be able, therefore, to give time to Mr. Hoyer, who speaks for us all. And I thank him for speaking not only to the Nation's business, but for speaking to the business of the District of Columbia. He never neglects the City. He has been a great champion of the District and for freedom for the people of the Nation's Capital. Mr. Hoyer essentially spoke about the unfinished business of the 112th Congress. I was relieved at what the Democrats were able to accomplish in this conference report, when you consider that almost everything of great priority for us was under attack. So, yes, we are relieved. But what Mr. Hoyer has reminded us about this evening is that there is unfinished business that should not allow Congress to go home to celebrate its own personal Christmas with a clear conscience until it deals with this part of the Nation's business--the payroll tax that will go up unless we extend it and unemployment benefits for 6 million people.…”