Mike Pence: “At 3,500 pages, 34 pounds, members of the minority had roughly 1 day to review its contents. Mr. Speaker, here comes the…”

“At 3,500 pages, 34 pounds, members of the minority had roughly 1 day to review its contents. Mr. Speaker, here comes the bus. But the American people don't want this Congress to get on. Last night, the House passed a massive omnibus spending bill that gives deafening evidence that this government is broken. This budget process is broken. I want to commend men and women of good will in this Congress who improved this bill along the margins, but $515 billion without a penny for Iraq is wrong and evidence that the budget process is broken. $515 billion with $10 billion in budget gimmicks and hundreds of unexamined earmarks gives evidence that this budget process is broken. President Reagan said it 20 years ago from this podium. He said: "The budget process is broken down; it needs a drastic overhaul. With each ensuing year, the spectacle before the American people is the same as it was this Christmas." He added: "Budget deadlines delayed or missed completely, hundreds of billions worth of spending packed into one bill, and a Federal Government on the brink of default." The more things change in Congress, the more they stay the same. Say "no" to the ominous omnibus bill.”