Mark Meadows: “My friend opposite--and I say that in the most authentic and complete terms because, indeed, the gentleman is my…”

“My friend opposite--and I say that in the most authentic and complete terms because, indeed, the gentleman is my friend--raises a point of debate about the Constitution and the fact that explicitly in the Constitution, our Founding Fathers reserved this particular authority in Article I, section 8, clause 17, which shows the wisdom of our Founding Fathers to anticipate what, indeed, we are debating here today. For many of the other arguments that my good friend has made in terms of what we need to change, there is the appropriate place for those changes to be made, and that is exactly what this debate has been about. It is about the rule of law; it is about the Constitution; and it is about this institution being the proper place to make those determinations on behalf of the will of We the People. Now, the motion to recommit talks about Zika funding. And I might remind the gentleman that, indeed, in this very body within the last few days, we have already passed funding to address the Zika virus' potential healthcare concern; and, indeed, this is the correct body for us to do that. It is not the District of Columbia or any other municipality across the country. It is, indeed, this body, the role for this particular body that has been reserved constitutionally; and it has been that way since the very founding of this great country we all call home. I would also add that, as we start to look at this, the debate has been over local control.…”