Barney Frank: “Perhaps if the White House has a shortage of space, it might help if they invite the Members without staff and next week…”

“Perhaps if the White House has a shortage of space, it might help if they invite the Members without staff and next week they invite the staff without the Members, and we might function better. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the article from Roll Call this morning to which I referred earlier. The article referred to is as follows: [From Roll Call, June 12. 2003] Hill Aides Spurned (By Ethan Wallison) Republican aides on Capitol Hill are incensed over a new White House policy to exclude virtually all Congressional staff from the semi-regular ``bi-cam'' meetings between President Bush and the GOP leadership. The aides contend that they are being kept out of the meetings even as White House staffers and other senior officials, such as top Congressional lobbyist David Hobbs, continue to sit in. ``It does strike one as a little bit arrogant,'' one senior Senate GOP aide said.…”