Political Quotes

“I have heard of a rush to anger and a rush to judgment. What we have here is a rush to the floor. We're told an agreement on a conference committee report to H.R. 3734 was made near midnight last night. I haven't seen the conference report and don't know what's in the conference agreement. I read what's in the National Journal's Congress Daily/A.M. edition and the Congressional Quarterly's House Action Reports 'Conference Summary.' The Congressional Quarterly Action Report includes the disclaimer that they haven't seen the conference agreement report either, but prepared a morning briefing anyway, using information provided by committee staff. Well, excuse me. I don't consider it appropriate to rely only on some nebulous statement written by someone who hasn't read the report before casting my vote on behalf of my constituents. I want to have a copy of the legislation available and that's why we have the rule that we don't vote on a conference agreement the same day it is reported. In my 23 years in the Congress, I have been accustomed to reading and studying legislation before I cast my vote on behalf of the Seventh District of Illinois, a responsibility I take very seriously. The House has rules governing debate, rules designed to keep us from rushing to judgment. Those rules dictate that we don't vote on conference reports the same day they are filed so that we have time to study the provisions.”