Porter Goss: “I simply want to congratulate my friends in the majority for their courage in bringing forward a truly open rule, and I…”

“I simply want to congratulate my friends in the majority for their courage in bringing forward a truly open rule, and I mean that sincerely--the first of its kind actually since last November 9, if our records are correct. No restrictions on amendments, except under the standing rules of the House, which is the way it is to be, those are the rules we all understand; no preprinting requirements, no convoluted king of the hill. This rule today is completely pure. Because I am often in the position of criticizing our Democrat friends on the Committee on Rules and in the leadership for arbitrarily shutting down debate on important issues, it seems only fair to me to take this brief opportunity to commend them today for their openness in handling this legislation this way. If this new commitment to deliberative democracy could only become the norm instead of the exception, then I think we can truly have made real progress and report to the American people we have made real progress in restoring the credibility of this House with the American people.”