Political Quotes

“They do not need the amendment. They already have the power within the rules package to do it. Mr. Chairman, for all the reasons that we have said, this well-intended amendment would only add more likelihood rather than less likelihood that we will run into a partisan deadlock. We have provided in these rules that the chairman and ranking member have the power that the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary would like to now reemphasize by an additional amendment. It is not necessary. The power is within the committee to so act. We have provided a lot more tools for them to be able to do it. We do not wish to put an arbitrary deadline. It will only encourage gridlock and a problem. The last point I want to maintain, and I know the gentleman from Louisiana is well intended in his amendment, frivolous complaints have been handled quickly by this committee. To refer otherwise is just not accurate. Many of the complaints have been well debated. We came back and reached conclusions. We have not been deadlocked in the committee. In each case it may have taken too long, but we were able to reach conclusions. If we had an automatic dismissal, it would have prevented us from continuing to do our work until we were able to reach a conclusion. I urge my colleagues to reject the amendment.”