Political Quotes

“Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, we are going to be in session next week. We are going to be back here. It was a recess week. The reason it is not a recess week is because the government of the American people is shut down. We have tried now nine times--this was the ninth time--to open up the government. Nobody was surprised. Everybody knew. It was debated on the floor. I spoke on it for, I think, 8 or 9 minutes myself, so there was no confusion, should not have been confusion on the floor. And I think a vote should have been demanded. It was not, and I am not in a position to agree to a unanimous consent. But I am in a position to tell you, there will be at least two or three votes next week on opening up the government. My presumption is those of you who have voted against such motions in the past will do so again. So it will not be as if you don't have an opportunity to vote on this same proposition. It was not a complicated proposition, and I regret, Mr. Speaker, that I am not in a position to try to cure the failure, in my view, because I didn't hear it, and I was, as I say, sitting here. And the Speaker obviously didn't hear it either. I am absolutely convinced that the judge would not have--if he had heard a request, he would have honored that request for a vote. So we are where we are. I would urge the Members--clearly, I will stipulate to the fact that almost all of you would have voted against the motion if a vote had been taken, and you can put that in the Record.…”