Porter Goss: “I must commend him for his patience, persuasion, and persistence in seeking a reasonable compromise on the host of…”

“I must commend him for his patience, persuasion, and persistence in seeking a reasonable compromise on the host of highly contentious issues that pervade the Labor-HHS and Education appropriations bill. Some might call this bill the ``mother of all appropriations bills'' since it covers a tremendous scope of topics and allocates more than $60 billion. The sticking points have become highly visible sore thumbs--including the extraordinarily difficult issue of Federal funding for abortion. This rule does about the best it can do to allow for a relatively free and fair debate on the major issues--while keeping within a somewhat manageable timeframe. I am particularly pleased that this rule makes in order a lockbox amendment offered by Mr. Crapo. This much-discussed and long awaited amendment commits the House to ensuring that savings agreed to on the floor of the House will indeed be used for deficit reduction and will no longer be permitted to be spent on other spending projects.”