Chris Smith: “I think the membership should know very clearly that an agreement was made to allow the gentlewoman from California (Ms.…”

“I think the membership should know very clearly that an agreement was made to allow the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) to offer an amendment. Nothing whatsoever was stated as to whether or not a second degree amendment to that would be permitted or not permitted; it just was not on the table. Moreover, the agreement was to prevent what might have been an hour or so of debate in the committee. If it were up to me I'd debate it all day. Let me say also that in the committee, because we had whipped on this, we believed that we would have won by more than just a few votes in committee, and that any substitute that would have been offered would have been defeated. I do do reasonably good vote counts when I do work an issue. So not getting a roll call vote in committee was just to expedite the bill. I think that should be made very clear. Nobody has violated an agreement. Let me just say for the record, because this I find very disconcerting, many of my friends on the other side of this issue time and again have demanded and received the ability to second-degree pro-life amendments that this Member and other Members have offered on the floor. Every time we have done it, the second degree amendment comes in, we live with it, that is the way the process goes. The shoe is just on the other foot.”