Barney Frank: “this bill illustrates an apparent Republican principle, namely, that there should be an inverse relationship between…”

“this bill illustrates an apparent Republican principle, namely, that there should be an inverse relationship between one's commitment to practicing democracy at home and exporting it abroad. We are doing a great deal to try and advance democracy overseas, but here we are engaging in a travesty of democratic debate being shut down. We will have spent today in this Chamber more time honoring the former Members than we will have in debating any single aspect of military policy. Now, former Members are wonderful. Many of us some day hope to be former Members, but to put that ahead of debating environmental policy, nuclear policy level of spending makes no sense. A number of very important issues have been, by the Republican leadership, excluded from today's debate. Why? We were scheduled to meet tomorrow, but Members have now apparently been told that we should put aside any further debate on these issues. A free day tomorrow is more important than thorough debate today. The notion that you take this enormous chunk of the budget, all of these important issues, and cram them into one part of the day, is a travesty of democracy unworthy of the people's House.”