Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, it is not any great pleasure that I come here today to be able to address the rule that is now before us. This is a rule that, when we as Democrats were in the majority, known as basically martial law, that we only used at the end of the session, usually the last 3 days, in order to facilitate the passage of conference reports in those last few days. Yet under this leadership and this majority, this year alone this martial law type of rule has been in effect longer than any time if you added up all of my previous 19 years here. So in 1 year, this year, this session, we have used it more than I did in the previous 19 years. Now, that tells me a little bit about the running of the House and procedures in the House. This is not necessary. This rule is not necessary. If we follow the normal rules of the House, the rule to take up the welfare bill, it would be reported in a day, be taken up tomorrow in the normal course, be passed. The welfare bill will be taken up and passed. But for some reason or other, it has been dictated by on high, and that is what I did say, dictated by on high, the majority, the Speaker and the floor leader, the leadership of the Republicans have decided we are going to do it today.”