Now, my friend says he's been here for some time and he's participated in another legislative body. Well, I've been here for a long time myself, as the gentleman knows, some 33 years, and 12 years in the Maryland Senate, President of the…

I thank my friend. Mr. Speaker, what's before us is before us. What's before us is a rule, not the MilCon bill, not Homeland Security. What's before us is the bill. And what does the bill do? It doesn't have an open process. It doesn't…

I know that Members want to catch planes, and I will be brief; but I did want to take this opportunity. From time to time we, in sadness, see one of those people leave who have served this institution very well, and served me, both in my…

As the sequester's effects continue to place our economy and national security at risk, the news that 650,000 civilian defense workers will be forced to take unpaid leave ought to alarm all Americans who are concerned about our military…

Apparently the Republicans are opposed to ObamaCare. I know that comes as a shock to America, so we need to tell them one more time or 37 times or maybe a 38th or 39th or 40th or 100th time. I don't know how many times we have to replay…

The clock will not be turned back. ObamaCare is the law of the land. Those are not my words, but Speaker Boehner's. You say this vote is necessary so that freshman Members have a chance to get on record on a major issue. If they haven't…

This week the House will be voting for the 37th time to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This vote comes at a time when we are facing serious and pressing challenges, one of the most important of which is the operations of the sequester…

Okay. Well, he is not here. I'm a huge fan of Bob Michel's, but I'm also a huge fan of Ray LaHood's, and I know you're honoring Ray today, and I want to join with you in honoring him. Not only did he serve as a staffer in the House of…

``Address us'' overstates what I'm going to do, but I'm always so pleased to be with all of you. And I was kidding on saying that. I want to tell you frankly, on the Republican side, you guys look so much better than you did when we served…

I thank the gentleman for his comments; but I do want to observe that the President of the United States has offered a budget which eliminates the sequester and gets to a budget deficit reduction and fiscal sustainability in an alternative…

Well, I appreciate that and I look forward to the consideration of the appropriations bills on the floor. I want to say that for the most part you have followed open rules, which we did as well in 2007 until we just couldn't get the bills…

I thank the gentleman. Just let me observe that on our side we think it would be useful if the American public had the opportunity to, in effect, see the discussions in a conference. I've been here long enough to remember when we had…

I appreciate the fact that you're encouraged. Frankly, our side has not heard an encouraging word. In fact, we continue to hear discouraging words, as the song says. I'm very hopeful we can bridge the gap that exists, which is about $100…

I thank the gentleman for that information and, again, I want to thank him. I know that the majority leader could not be here and he's filling in, and I appreciate the fact that he is doing so. Mr. Brady, I notice that there is not on the…

I thank the gentleman. Of course, we did have a balanced budget, as you'll remember, for the last 4 years of the Clinton administration. Now, there was a Republican-controlled Congress; but in the next 4 years, there was a…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I have already spoken about this amendment. I think this amendment is as sad as the bill. We continue to play games because we think that, in a way, we will compel people to vote for something they don't…

Former Bush chief economic adviser Keith Hennessey--this is an economic adviser, not a spokesperson--said this: If the U.S. Government legally commits to paying someone a benefit or agrees to pay a firm for a good or a service, the U.S…

I thank my friend, the ranking member. I rise partly in sadness, wholly in disappointment, that we are playing this game. How sad. I tell my other friend from Michigan, his amendment is sad, too, I want to say. It's a device to try to get…

Every Republican President with whom I've served, Madam Speaker, every Republican President has increased the debt as a percentage of GDP higher than either Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. Bill Clinton was the lowest, 37 percent. This…

So that that letter, while a very nice letter, doesn't take that into consideration. The result would be longer hours for workers with no overtime pay and only the hope that their bosses will let them take their earned time off when asked…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mrs. Roby and I are friends, but we have a very substantial disagreement about this bill. I call it the Pay Working Families Less bill because what it will result in is a cut in pay for almost everybody…

I rise once again to call on Congress to replace the dangerous and irrational sequester with a big and balanced deficit solution. Ten weeks after the dysfunction of this Congress led to the sequester taking effect, our economy and the most…

I want to thank you for this opportunity to voice my strong support for John Berry to serve as our next Ambassador to Australia.

Ben Cardin, I think, is one of the finest legislators and human beings with whom I have had the opportunity to work ever.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Let me inform my friend from Iowa that he absolutely misstates my position. I have been against the sequester every year I was on the Appropriations Committee for 23 years, these across-the-board cuts. I…