Maxwell Frost: “Mr. Speaker, I have long been a supporter of bankruptcy reform, and I support the bill before us today. I am, however…”

“Mr. Speaker, I have long been a supporter of bankruptcy reform, and I support the bill before us today. I am, however, concerned that the Committee on Rules majority has started the year by denying Democratic Members the opportunity to offer amendments to this significant legislative proposal. Granted, the bill before us is identical to the bill vetoed by the President last year; but at the same time, we do have a deliberate process in this body that is being stifled by the majority. Just as the majority is intent on considering massive tax cuts before we even have received a real budget from the President, much less before we have a budget debate on the Hill, the majority has once again subverted the process. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I am a supporter of this bill, but there are issues that deserve to be heard and debated. This rule makes in order six amendments. Democrats are grateful the Republican majority has at least seen fit to give us a substitute, but other significant amendments offered in the Committee on Rules yesterday are not included in this list of six.”