Newt Gingrich: “I hope that everybody who is listening carefully to this debate has listened to our good friends over here, because they…”

“I hope that everybody who is listening carefully to this debate has listened to our good friends over here, because they are now caught in an inherent contradiction. They say to us they are against quotas. Member after Member got up and said, ``I am against quotas.'' They say to us there is nothing in this program that is a quota. They say to us, ``We are against the government discriminating.'' They say there is nothing in this program that requires the government to discriminate. I want to thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema), for having the courage to stand up here and to offer a very, very important amendment. Notice what it says. It says it is for affirmative action. Affirmative action: ``to expand the applicant pool for transportation contracts in order to increase competition; to encourage participation by businesses owned by women and minorities in bidding for transportation contracts.'' Affirmative action: ``to recruit qualified women and minorities into the applicant pool for transportation contracts.'' And it goes on to say, an affirmative action ``to encourage transportation contractors to request businesses owned by women and minorities to bid for transportation contracts'' and affirmative action ``to include qualified women and minorities into an applicant pool for transportation contracts.''”