Kendrick Meek: “Mr. Ryan, we have to disabuse ourselves of that kind of attitude here in Washington D.C. Let me tell you something. My…”

“Mr. Ryan, we have to disabuse ourselves of that kind of attitude here in Washington D.C. Let me tell you something. My constituents who can either be Republican, Democratic, Independent, or Green Party, would be highly disappointed, highly disappointed if we were in charge and this were going on. But we are not in charge. We are asking to be in charge of this Chamber. What is happening right now, Mr. Speaker, and what is being printed in the press right now, Mr. Speaker, and what is being said in the Halls of Congress right now, Mr. Speaker, is unprecedented in the history of this Congress. When we speak into the Congressional Record, Mr. Ryan, here on this 30-something, I sleep well. I sleep well because I know that, hopefully, historians will look at this time and say, you know something, the minority side was saying that we could do better, and that we can do better, and that we will do better. We have the history on our side to the majority side. On the Democratic side, we have the history of balancing the budget. Do you? No. We have the history of investing in education and making sure that children have what they need to learn and teachers have what they need to teach. On your side? No. We have the history of putting together things as it relates to a bipartisan agenda on innovation and education, Leave No Child Behind, working with the Republican side, passing that piece of legislation, being there at the bill signing.…”