John Kline: “With the clock winding down on the 111th Congress, there seems to be a rush to push through as many bills at the last…”

“With the clock winding down on the 111th Congress, there seems to be a rush to push through as many bills at the last minute as this majority can manage. Unfortunately, this sprint to the finish means the sacrifice of the deliberative process. This bill was sent to us from the other body with the demand that we accept it as is; that we cannot change a single comma or period, much less improve the policy. This is a bill that never received a hearing or vote in the Education and Labor Committee. Not a single amendment was made in order for debate, which means here on the House floor Members were not permitted to even discuss possible improvements to the bill. This motion to recommit is our last chance to improve the bill, our last chance to remove some of its most harmful provisions and insert stronger protections for our children; and that is exactly what we are attempting to do. First, to protect the safety of children receiving meals in a child care setting, the motion to recommit requires comprehensive background checks for all child care providers.”