Political Quotes

“I lament that the 2 minutes are no longer magic. Mr. Speaker, these rules are largely the rules that we have had for some period of time over the years, but they have important changes. Unfortunately, I view those changes as not facilitating our work but seeking to impede our work. I think that is unfortunate. They are also designed to target Federal employees if Members of Congress don't like what they do. There, of course, is a process to do that, but as the leader on the other side did at one point in time, he just cut out the salary for an employee he didn't like or thought was acting improperly. That was not appropriate, and of course, that did not prevail. I regret that we don't have an opportunity to look at these rules in the way that so many on this floor talked about doing. First of all, of course, they are not single issues. There are a lot of issues. It is the rules. Secondly, there are ways and means to provide for consideration in a transparent, open fashion in which I could offer an amendment to a rule that I thought was not in the benefit of this House or the American people. Unfortunately, this is the process, which is the very first process under which we have considered a piece of business, not necessarily legislation, and that is ironic. It is what it is, but it will, as such a process does, force us to vote against a piece of organizational rules because we don't agree with some of those rules. That is what I will do. {time} 1815”