Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I don't like being here. I had meetings I had to cancel. I had phone calls I had to put off. But I am committed to doing everything I can to get two votes on the floor--just two. They are simple issues: no fly, no buy, and closing the gaping loopholes in background checks for the purchase of a gun. That shouldn't be a problem. I don't know anybody who opposes those items. We can't get a bill on the floor because the Republican majority is afraid of their own position. They are scared to let the American people know where they stand on these issues. Just yesterday, we had to use a legislative gimmick called a motion to recommit, which nobody in America understands--I didn't understand it before I got here--but it was the only way we could get the issue on the floor. And even then, when Mr. Thompson offered it, it was ruled out of order. Through machinations of rule on rule on rule, we weren't even allowed to vote on that. The item was ruled nongermane and a motion was made to lay it on the table. The only vote we got was to overrule the ruling of the Republican chair to lay it on the table. The people who voted to lay it on the table yesterday voted to allow terrorists to buy weapons. The people who voted to lay it on the table yesterday voted to allow criminals and terrorists to continue to buy guns under our current gaps in the background check law. That is what that vote was.…”