Michelle Fischbach: “I thank the Representative from Pennsylvania for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I…”

“I thank the Representative from Pennsylvania for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, we are here today to debate the rule governing the consideration of the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act and the resolution to condemn the horrific shootings in Atlanta this past March. I want to say right away that it is not the substance of these two bills to which I take exception; it is the process the majority is following or not following to move legislation forward. The first bill in this rule is H. Res. 275, a resolution condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, this past March. As Members of the House of Representatives, we unequivocally condemn violence and hate against any person or group of people. What happened in Atlanta is an unimaginable tragedy that must be denounced in no uncertain terms. I support the idea of the resolution, but not the way my colleagues in the majority are handling it. The majority chose to circumvent the prescribed process for a resolution of this nature, bypassing the usual committee markup altogether and sidestepping an opportunity for the majority to address concerns from the minority and allow the House to speak with one unified voice.…”