Maxwell Frost: “Mr. Speaker, earlier today when the House considered H.R. 1634, I commented that the proposal presented to the House by…”

“Mr. Speaker, earlier today when the House considered H.R. 1634, I commented that the proposal presented to the House by the Republican leadership resembled nothing more than an elaborate Goldberg contraption. The Republicans found all sorts of bells and whistles and levers and gears and created some sort of machinery that was intended to send some Federal workers back to work. Yet, here we are again, Mr. Speaker. This new Rube Goldberg contraption adds enough news gears and levers to this morning's contraption so that all the bells and whistles will sound a little louder and when they ring and chime, it will appear to the American people that the Republican majority is indeed acting responsibly and really opening the Government. The Republican gizmo passed by the House earlier today funded those programs which, while they remained unfunded, have caused the Republican majority no end of public criticism. This new gimmick just adds to the list--a reelection wish list no doubt for many. The new gimmick does not, however, solve the problem. Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that it does not sit well with the public that in order to ensure protection of a tax cut aimed primarily at the wealthiest of all Americans, that the Republican majority in Congress might be willing to let the Meals on Wheels program run out of money and let perhaps thousands of elderly Americans go hungry.”