Political Quotes

“I would like to address my comments this morning strictly to this rule, rather than either to Castle-Tanner or to the bill itself, because the rule is a little bit different than some of the rules we normally take up here on the floor, in that it has a self-enacting amendment in it that has some substantive concerns that I think we really need to at least bring forth. Let me just say first and foremost, and I think this is vitally important, I very much appreciate the very good work which the Committee on Rules has done. They have allowed, in a freestanding way, the Castle-Tanner legislation, which is the Gephardt substitute in this rule, to come to the floor. There will be no objections as to dollars. There is a dollar differential; it is $53 billion versus $60-some in the Republican bill, but it will be allowed to be considered. That was a concern of mine, and it was a concern of a number of my contemporaries on the other side of the aisle, and I am very pleased that was able to be worked out. That is important, I think, for the whole process of hearing and voting in this Chamber.”