Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding. I have been here long enough to see my Republican colleagues bring to the floor these bills and plop them down heavily on the table. I have been here long enough to have citizens assault me in a town meeting and ask: ``Have you read the bill?'' I have been here long enough to hear the demagoguery about: ``What's in the bill? Do you know what's in the bill? Have you read the bill? How can you do this?'' I have heard demagoguery about the 3-day rule. I call it the 24-hour- and-2-second rule. That is the last second of the first day, 24 hours of the second day, and the first second of the third day. We are not even going to make that. This was filed at 8 o'clock last night. I ask any Member in this House to join me in the well if you have read this bill. Join me if you have read this bill. No one is joining me. These are earmarks. They call them authorizing legislation, but they are earmarks. They are pieces of legislation in this bill that are against the rules, of course, but we will waive those rules. They are things that were gone through in the dark of night, at 8 o'clock last night. These are the appropriations bills, the only piece of this legislation that were done properly. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland.”