Political Quotes

“I thank my friend on the subcommittee, the ranking chairman, for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, may I again wish my friend, the subcommittee chairman with the least meritorious appropriation bills, a warm and happy new year. The time that he had off for Christmas has left him confused and not as prepared as he normally is, because he said the Congress has an opportunity to bring people back to work. Dear Mr. Subcommittee Chairman of Appropriations, a Congressman rose on the floor in April and said, ``I will shut down the government if the President does not agree to my budget, and when that happens, watch and see what he will do then.'' That was the Time Man of the Year that uttered those now famous remarks. So why does the gentleman not admit that a continuing resolution would not free your appropriation, which was wisely vetoed by the President, but that a continuing resolution would open up the entire Government? Let us get real around here. We could not work during Christmas because there was not anything to do. We come back now, there still is not anything to do. So we start bringing up these lemons, trying to see if we can override them. Please, the President's veto did not shut down the Government. So my dear friend, recognize that we are the ones that could operate. Tell me what is the problem with your Presidential candidate, the majority leader, who is trying to organize the Republicans to make a face-saving device after Christmas.”