Steny Hoyer: “Once again we are confronted with politics, not substance. The groans you hear are those of the self-indicted. If you…”

“Once again we are confronted with politics, not substance. The groans you hear are those of the self-indicted. If you were serious, if you were concerned about the veterans, if you were concerned about those in need, then this would be a substantive amendment subject to consideration now, not later, not tomorrow. My friend will ask the rhetorical parliamentary question in a few minutes that he has asked every time we have done this, and every time this process is political only. If it were substantive, I tell the gentleman from New York, if you wanted to accomplish this objective, you may get the votes on this side, but you will not get the votes on this side to kill this bill. We have now taken 50 hours longer on consideration of appropriation bills than we did last year with unanimous consents from Mr. Obey. You can groan, but the people who are looking for these funds, the people who want the benefits of this bill, the people who understand the work on both sides of the aisle that has gone into fashioning this bill, the people who have seen us vote on rejecting amendment after amendment on substantive grounds that you offered, and you could have offered this amendment, of course, as well, know full well this is a political process, not a substantive process. Reject this process. Let us move on with the business of the American people. Let's do what they sent us here to do. Let's act. Reject this motion.”