Steny Hoyer: “I ask my colleagues on the majority side of the aisle, what do they think about 212 Americans who represent…”

“I ask my colleagues on the majority side of the aisle, what do they think about 212 Americans who represent approximately 235 million Americans, not Democrats, 235 million Americans, who had no opportunity to see the substance of your proposal on Thursday night? Cannot we cry foul over a Republican budget process that completely shuts out the representatives of the people, not us as individuals, but of the people that we represent, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and, yes, those who are not aligned. Our ranking member on the Committee on the Budget, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) was not allowed into the conference on this resolution; yet we adopt a rule that today will not debate substance but, by process alone, will recommit this bill to the Committee on the Budget. Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure I detected a few Republican tears in the wee hours of the morning that they could not get this through.”