Debbie Dingell: “I have heard a great deal of talk about how this is going to be a new and a different and a better Congress. I have…”

“I have heard a great deal of talk about how this is going to be a new and a different and a better Congress. I have heard a lot of people tell me about how we are going to proceed to have bipartisanship and cooperation and conciliation. I would observe to the Members of this body that the system will work if we have cooperation, conciliation, and compromise. I would add to that one thing more: Consultation. It would be nice if the majority would talk to the minority about their plans and about what they are doing. It would be even nicer if they would let us talk to them about what we are doing here and to be consulted and to have an actual discussion about what rules are going to obtain. These rules are interesting. I have been writing rules in this place for a long time. I would note to my colleagues that in these rules are a number of interesting things, massive changes in the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce. No discussion with the minority on that matter whatsoever. No justification for what has been done here. We are simply informed, 'This is what we are going to do to you.' I would observe that the jurisdiction that is being transferred from the Committee on Commerce is jurisdiction which was created by Sam Rayburn 60 or 70 years ago and that has been exercised vigorously and well by the Committee on Commerce all during those times.”