Porter Goss: “I think we are about 80 minutes away from ending a debate that has so far consumed 27 hours, which I point out has been…”

“I think we are about 80 minutes away from ending a debate that has so far consumed 27 hours, which I point out has been some 5 hours more than the House spent debating Desert Storm back in 1991. That was probably the most important vote that I have made since I have been a Member of Congress and I am sure many other Members would feel that way. Regarding some other points that have been made about open rules and so forth, I think it is fair to go back and we can put into the procedure, if necessary, the amendment process under the special rules by our Committee on Rules, and comparing the 103d and 104th Congress. And yes, we argue about definitions, I know. But according to, I think, a fair and reasonable judgment, we have, indeed, had many more open rules or modified open rules in the 104th Congress. Mr. Speaker, even I think our colleagues on the Committee on Rules on the other side have admitted that, although they feel maybe we are not doing quite as well as we hoped we would do. I think that is a subject of some debate, but I do not think it is debatable that we have not had more open rules. I think we definitely have.”