Political Quotes

“Yesterday this House passed bipartisan legislation to reform Congress. Together Democrats and Republicans took the first important step toward restoring faith in this institution, and I applaud the new leadership for that. But I had one disappointment. There is one thing Americans do not want, and that is a double standard. That is why we applied the laws of this land to the rules of this Congress. Yet for 2 years our Republican friends criticized the fact that we had closed rules, that we did not allow amendments to be brought forward on this floor. My friends on the Republican side should do one of two things. They should either admit they were wrong over the last 2 years as they attacked Democrats for trying to limit amendments on this floor, or they should admit they were wrong yesterday and today in trying to limit that open process. It is their choice, and I am willing to accept that choice, but they cannot have it both ways. Mr. Speaker, I hope we can proceed with open rules and the open process, and I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to restore faith in this institution.”