Mike Pence: “I take a second chair to no one in this conference in my respect for the integrity of the chairman of the Appropriations…”

“I take a second chair to no one in this conference in my respect for the integrity of the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Mr. Obey is a man with whom I differ on a broad range of issues, but he is a man of integrity, Madam Speaker. And I come to this floor in part to acknowledge that. Let me say also how much I appreciate that the chairman said that he has no objection to the motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1 that is before the body today that would require that before the House shall record its final approval to the conference agreement that the text of the agreement should be made available to the managers in an electronic, searchable and downloadable form for at least 48 hours. I commend the chairman for that. I would respectfully disagree with the statement that the chairman just made, Madam Speaker, and it's a statement that we heard the President of the United States make last night. And maybe it was inadvertent by the chairman, but it is this contrast that somehow this debate is between people that want to do something and people that want to do nothing. With great respect to the chairman, that is not an accurate articulation of the competing positions on this bill. House Republicans know we are in a recession. This is a very serious time in the life of American families and in the life of our economy.”