Alcee Hastings

I would like to see that exact date, and I am here to tell you that we didn't receive such a briefing. And if you can tell me that this resolution holds that every member was briefed, I am here to tell you that that is not true.

My good friend from Hawaii, and he is my good friend, knows that I love his volcanic State that has no Outer Continental Shelf. If we were drilling in Oahu or on the road to Hana, I would hear a different perspective. But I understand that…

As I recall, my friend from Pleasantville and Happy Valley wanted drilling 3 miles out, he perceives it as such an emergency. I find it strange that people that live so far away from the potential problem have all of the correct answers…

I serve on the Rules Committee with the distinguished gentlewoman, my good friend, Ms. Matsui from California, Sacramento and that area, who understands environmental consequences. I am pleased and privileged to yield 3 minutes to the…

Because of the limited number of speakers that I have left, I will reserve my time and allow my colleague from Florida who has more time and maybe more speakers to proceed.

I don't believe he said that. I want to continue along those lines. Evidently the previous speaker doesn't know what Governor Jeb Bush just did, but that is another story. I want to keep the Constitution before us. What it says in that…

Reclaiming my time, you say that this will be a little bit more. Our good friend Paul Ryan, who is an author of this legislation, yesterday in my dialogue with him, he agreed that this legislation gives the President the power to do five…

Then tell me what is down and what is up? Did we not raise the debt ceiling twice?

Right. And every year since the President has been in office, we have been in this deficit spending environment; would you agree?

Excuse me. Will my colleague remain for me to use some of my time to ask him a question before I yield to my good friend Mr. Miller?

And I might add my good friend and fellow Floridian, and he is my good friend. Let me ask you, Mr. Crenshaw, do you feel that this House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, or the Congress, is in a deficit spending environment at this…

And we have secured the deficit that you created, or maybe it was George Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

A joint effort speaking well for divided government, and the precursor to what is coming in November when doubtless we have divided government again.

And are you saying that those tax increases that you voted against and I voted for did not cause this economy to boom? If we use that argument, my mom used to say something to me that was really interesting. She said, All you all do is go…

Reclaiming my time to ask a question. Are you saying that those tax cuts didn't help this country?

Reclaiming my time, I have been very generous in yielding, and I hope at some point in the future you will do likewise.

If the chairman will continue to yield, in the calculations under the AMT as he proposes they will get between $9 and $14. That person in the middle class, how in the world is that helping them?

I would respond to the chairman simply by saying that you ignore the fact that the deficits are sky high in this surge of revenue of which you speak, and the needs, I might add, of those that are most vulnerable in our society have not…

I appreciate my friend for that. Would the Speaker advise how much time I have remaining? The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) has 8 minutes remaining.

If we had made one amendment in order, it would have been satisfactory on this side, the one that was offered by my good friend Mr. Nadler, who I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to.

At this particular moment I am privileged to yield such time as he may consume to my good friend, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.

Pretending that we are dealing with the problem is not dealing with the problem. This bill is going nowhere fast, end of story. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

I am very pleased and privileged to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) that doubtless has significant wisdom with regard to the matter we are debating.

In 20 seconds I put to the Chair a simple question: If this resolution is so simple and noncontroversial, why did it come through the Rules Committee? And is it not true that Mr. Lantos' resolution is also simple, and there was nothing to…

That is Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, not West Palm Beach. Our colleague Mark Foley represents that area, a Republican. I represent Pahokee and Belle Glade, which are also in Palm Beach, and you are talking about no tax base. I just want to…