Political Quotes

“this is a strange rule. In almost 50 years in the House, I have seen a lot of strange rules, but I think this is probably the strangest and probably the most political. The Committee on Appropriations had gone out of its way to approve the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) to re-fund the National Endowment for the Arts. This rule kills the action of the subcommittee. And, incidentally, that vote was a bipartisan one. Not only the Democrats, but five Republicans helped pass the Obey amendment. This rule kills the action of the Committee by denying a waiver that would bar a point of order for lack of authorization of the program. Then the rule turns around, having taken the money away from NEA, and tries to put it back by giving the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson) the opportunity to offer an amendment to restore it. My good friend, the chairman of the Committee on Rules, says 'What could be fairer than that?' I will tell the gentleman that, in my opinion, what could be fairer than that would be if he had provided the waiver for NEA that he gave to about 30 other unauthorized programs in the bill. NEA was unfairly singled out for the denial of a waiver.”