Harold Volkmer: “I too rise in strong opposition to this rule. I know the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the chairman of the…”

“I too rise in strong opposition to this rule. I know the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the chairman of the committee, gave me one of my eight amendments, but it is not the one that I asked for; well, it is not the one I asked for, but that is all right. But the point is, and I think you go back to historical significance, this is a first time since I have been in this Congress, and I am now in my 20th year, that we have ever had a modified rule or semiclosed rule or closed rule on any farm bill. I was here in 1977, 1981, 1985, and 1990. Every year was an open rule. That is under Democrats, not under Republicans. The Republicans say, no, you cannot have all those amendments. There were 74, if I remember right, 74 or 75, that were noticed to the Committee on Rules. I have looked at most of those amendments, and, to be honest with you, many of them are very important. Those are ideas that a Member of this Congress came here about agriculture, and he wanted to be able to bring it up, or he or she, on this floor when we had the farm bill. But the great wisdom of the Committee on Rules, the chairman of the Committee on Rules says, no, that idea just is not any good, we are not going to accept it. You do not have the right to come to this floor and offer your amendment. That is what the Committee on Rules is telling Members of this Congress: They no longer have a right to offer legitimate amendments, and I think that is terrible.”