James M. Talent: “Yesterday the House made an excellent start in holding this body accountable to the people, cutting its costs. What…”

“Yesterday the House made an excellent start in holding this body accountable to the people, cutting its costs. What particularly impressed me about what happened yesterday was the strong bipartisan majorities that supported most, if not all, of the measures that were brought before the House. The following measures and many others as well passed by unanimous or near unanimous votes: Substantial cuts in committee staff, an independent auditor to examine the books of the House, banning of proxy voting, congressional compliance, that this body would finally be brought under the same laws that it has passed for everyone else. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, what we heard was the sound of gridlock breaking. It was broken not by partisanship or by arm-twisting but by the power of good ideas. I look forward to the power of good ideas dominating in this House for the next 100 days, substantial support from both sides of the aisle toward an agenda that brings this body back to the people of the United States.”