Political Quotes

“I thank the chairwoman for yielding, and I want to say I thank the chair and I thank Ms. Granger for her leadership and working with the chair, Mrs. Lowey, on getting these bills to the floor. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, albeit on leave, I am very proud of this committee. This committee is probably the most critical committee in the sense that, if it doesn't get its work done, we shut down the government. No other committee can say that, luckily. But I am pleased, as the majority leader, to say that it has been my intent, working with the chair and the ranking member, to complete this appropriations process in a timely fashion. Mr. Chair, the new Democratic majority began this Congress in the middle of a damaging government shutdown. Even though we had a bipartisan agreement on spending levels--which we don't yet have--and the Republicans held both Chambers of Congress and the executive, they failed a fundamental responsibility of funding all of government. And, as a result, we had a partial shutdown. This week, the Democratic majority, working with the Republican minority in the House--and I had the privilege of serving with Ms. Granger actively on the committee--is moving the first four appropriations bills to the floor for consideration, with passage expected early next week.…”