Political Quotes

“The American public wanted to say, Mr. President, if you see some projects in there that are not wise policy or not needed or inappropriate to be in appropriations bills, then take them out, Mr. President. Now, the President of the United States said, ``I don't have that authority. I would have to veto the entire bill.'' And I think that was a good rationale. That is why I am supporting Wise-Stenholm-Spratt, because it says a President can, in fact, take that project out, take that expenditure out and highlight it to the American public and send it back to the House of Representatives in the full light of day, in the open so that the American public can look at each one of us on this floor, 435 of us, and say, I do not believe that was justified or, yes, it was justified and ask us, again, in an accelerated way to vote on that item. I think that accomplishes what the American public wants without, as the gentleman from California and so many others on this floor have articulated so well, undermining the very critical balance of power between the executive and the legislative branches of government.”