John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, I do not know if my chairman was on the floor when I spoke, and I know he was not, he was attending to his…”

“Mr. Speaker, I do not know if my chairman was on the floor when I spoke, and I know he was not, he was attending to his duties, but this debate this morning right now is not about the spending bill. It is about the process. I just feel, and he said, this bill was dropped at my doorstep at 3:15 this morning. It is not enough time, not only for me but for the rest of the Members. To quote one of his favorite men in public office, Ronald Reagan, he said, ``Trust, but verify.'' All I want to do is verify.”