William Tauzin: “I am a member of the Committee on Commerce, and of all the speakers you heard this morning talking about the incident…”

“I am a member of the Committee on Commerce, and of all the speakers you heard this morning talking about the incident that occurred at the Committee on Commerce on the Medicare markup this week, I am the only person who was actually present for that incident. Let me tell you the truth about that incident; the facts, ma'am, just the facts, if you will. What occurred was a woman named Teresa McKenna, who is not some poor person worried about her Medicare, she is a paid lobbyist working for the National Council of Senior Citizens, brought a few of her members into the committee room as we had opened up the session to begin marking up the bill, and they began shouting and protesting at that markup hearing. The committees of the Congress work just like this body does. Members of the public are invited to attend and to sit in the galleries or sit in the committee rooms and to witness the process by which we mark up bills and debate them and process them through this House. Guests are always welcome, as is the press, at our committee markups. Had Ms. Teresa McKenna brought her members into this room, into this gallery, and conducted themselves the same way, began shouting and interrupting the process, the same thing would have occurred in this House as occurred in that committee room. They were asked three times by the officers in charge at the request of the chairman to either take seats or leave the room so that we could begin our business. Three times they refused.”