Alan Grayson

I would remind the Chair that the Chair actually agreed to hear my argument. Having done so, the Chair needs to hear my full argument. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is prepared to rule on the question of whether the resolution offered…

Well, excuse me, but I have a point of parliamentary order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Hearing argument on a question of order is within the Chair's discretion. The Chair will once again advise the gentleman from Florida that the Chair is…

Well, the Chair has not heard my arguments. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair advises the gentleman from Florida that he is not recognized and that the Chair is prepared to rule on the question.

Thank you. As I just indicated, the headline of the New York Daily News, the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States, on the first day of the government shutdown read this way: ``House of Turds.'' The bylines…

Good. The current polling indicates: What do you have a higher opinion of, Americans: Congress or toenail fungus? Congress, 41 percent; toenail fungus, 44 percent. What do you have a higher opinion of, Congress or cockroaches? Congress, 42…

Yes, I am explaining why it is privileged under rule IX. May I continue? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman may proceed so long as the gentleman confines his remarks to whether or not the resolution is privileged under rule IX. Should…

I want to repeat: one of the questions to make that determination is whether the dignity of the House has been offended. As I indicated, there is one final point to make here before I get into further argument, which is this: the American…

That is exactly what I have been doing. I would ask the Chair to allow me to continue without further interruption. May I continue? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman may proceed so long as his comments are confined to the procedural…

One of the questions before the House on this resolution is whether the dignity of the House has been offended. I am demonstrating vividly that the dignity of the House has been offended in support of this resolution. May I continue…

The Essential Air Service program is an expensive government handout. It is, in effect, welfare for airplanes. Page 9 of the bill expressly states that the per passenger subsidy extended to rural communities--and by the way, we're not…

This is an amendment that relates to fair housing programs, and specifically the part of the program regarding the Limited English Proficiency Initiative. This is a small program that is capped in the bill presently at $300,000. The…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 108, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $150,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 9, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $250)''. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is…

I want to thank the gentleman from Florida for accelerating the efforts to find a cure for this disease. I am very grateful to him, and so are thousands of veterans. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. The CHAIR. The question…

This amendment would increase the Defense health program account by $10 million in order to fund a cure for Gulf War illness. Currently, there is no cure for Gulf War illness, and it affects over a third of the veterans who served in the…

I have an amendment at the desk. The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 9, line 6, after the dollar amount insert the following: ``(reduced by $10,000,000)''. Page 34, line 15…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following: Sec. _. The amounts otherwise provided by this Act…

I have an amendment at the desk. The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of the bill (before the short title), add the following new section: Sec. __. None of the funds made…

Chairman Frelinghuysen, thank you for the constructive conversation that we had earlier today about this amendment. I regret that we weren't able to come to some solution to the problem that it's meant to address, but I appreciate your…

This amendment, Mr. Chairman, expands the list of contractors who are forbidden from contracting with the Federal Government, to include such contractors as those who have been convicted of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, et cetera…

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida will be postponed. Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mrs. Capps The Acting CHAIR. It is…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment, as modified, is as follows: Add at the end the following: TITLE __--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS SEC. __. STATE RIGHTS AND…

This is a simple savings clause amendment of the kind that we include typically, frequently, in almost every bill that's a major bill that passes this House. It says as follows: Nothing in this Act and the amendments made by this Act…

I appreciate the comments of the committee chair, but I must respectfully disagree with him on the merits. First, with regard to the Gulf of Mexico, the restrictions on current development stretch 100 miles off the shores of Florida, a…

I want to thank the Rules Committee for ruling that this amendment is in order. I want to also thank the committee chair for giving me the opportunity to discuss this with him briefly before this matter came up before the House. This…