Frank Lautenberg: “I think this is quite a moment in history. It will be long remembered. It will be remembered for several reasons, not…”

“I think this is quite a moment in history. It will be long remembered. It will be remembered for several reasons, not the least of which is the excessively optimistic tone that was issued by the President of the United States in his address on the State of the Union last night. Millions of people were watching and, I assume, thinking about the effects his thoughts will have on their lives. It is presented as the Omnibus appropriations bill, but I think there is a better description than that complicated term that few in the public really understand. I would rather call it the 'ominous' bill, and I am going to refer to it that way. It is astonishing to me that we are here, nearly 4 months into the new fiscal year. Our friends on the other side of the aisle who control the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate, have failed to move through the Senate the result of the conference with the House. It is an indictment of failure, an indictment of failure to govern. The basic problem with this bill is that in an age when we are so conscious of saturated fats, this bill is saturated with special interest provisions that bring harm to the well-being of our constituents. In some cases, the bill even threatens the health of the American people. For instance, stuck deep in this bill is a provision that blocks the country-of-origin labeling rules for agricultural products, including beef.”