Charlie Melancon: “I am new to the House, so maybe I should not be so shocked, so disappointed at what I have seen and heard this week.…”

“I am new to the House, so maybe I should not be so shocked, so disappointed at what I have seen and heard this week. Maybe failing to address critical needs in a crisis is normal here. Maybe if I had been here a few terms, I would understand that is just part of the job to smile when you get nothing and then you say it is a good compromise. Maybe with a little seniority, I would understand what it means to be a Member of the House of Representatives, to shake a lot of hands, make speeches on the floor, and deeply hope that your district ends up okay. But I am new to this House. I do not understand. I do not understand why we cannot do what is so obviously the right thing. I do not understand how good people can have their hands so completely tied by leadership that refuses to let their Members voice their conscience. I have friends here and on the other side of the aisle. I do not understand why after asking me personally what they can do to help with this terrible tragedy, they are unable to explain to me why we have to compromise. I am new here, Mr. Speaker. I heard the President make promises in Jackson Square, and I believed them. I believed the White House when they told me Wednesday that they would help local governments survive so that we can lay the ground work to rebuild. I believed the Louisiana Senators when they said they were committed to the same simple request. Maybe it is because I am new, but what I am having trouble with today, Mr.…”