John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, this bill is a very very bad idea. It gives the Republican leadership carte blanche to bring up just about…”

“Mr. Speaker, this bill is a very very bad idea. It gives the Republican leadership carte blanche to bring up just about anything they want just about whenever they want. It is a very powerful tool and I urge my colleagues to oppose it. Now I am not saying, Mr. Speaker, that martial law is always a bad idea, in fact when a session is coming to a close and a lot of bills need to be finished it can be useful on a short-term case-by-case basis, let me repeat that Mr. Speaker, martial law can be useful on a short term case-by-case basis, in which bills are specified by name. But martial law is very dangerous when applied as a blanket over the end of the session. In fact, last time the Republicans imposed martial law it lasted for 4 months from November 15 to March 15 during that time the U.S. Government was closed twice for a total of 27 days. Mr. Speaker, martial law was a bad idea then and it's a bad idea now. It takes away the normal protection afforded the minority and it keeps Members from adequately looking bills over before they vote on them.”