John Joseph Moakley: “I am thrilled. I cannot believe what I have just heard. My good friend from Massachusetts, is the gentleman in fact…”

“I am thrilled. I cannot believe what I have just heard. My good friend from Massachusetts, is the gentleman in fact suggesting that we bypass the committee process and bring directly to the floor his particular amendment? I think this is the very side that I get hammered time after time after time again with these rules, what about the committee process? Mr. Speaker, I am certain that the gentleman and my friend from Massachusetts overlooked this, and I am certain that in order to stay consistent with what their side on a continuing basis continually talks about, that he will rescind his amendment and proposal to offer an amendment and take it back to the committee process. I think it is also important for us to realize it is an election year. How can we tell it is an election year? Where has this group, where has the minority been? They held the majority in the House. They held the majority in the Senate. They held the Presidency for the first 2 years I was here. Not once, not once in committee, not once on the House floor did we hear any discussion about minimum wage.”