Frank Pallone: “I am just reading from Time Magazine, so I do not see why I cannot continue. As I said, the gentleman from Texas may no…”

“I am just reading from Time Magazine, so I do not see why I cannot continue. As I said, the gentleman from Texas may no longer be the majority leader, but he is still wielding power here in this Chamber and that power is not benefiting the American people. Instead, the actions of the House Republican majority benefit only a small few to the actual detriment of everyday Americans. Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder that this House only brings legislation to the floor that benefits the wealthiest few in our Nation, because these are the people who are in Tom DeLay's black book. The House Republican leadership has heard that the American people are struggling to afford skyrocketing gas prices, so what do they do? House Republicans pass an energy law this summer that even the Bush administration admits will do nothing to lower gas prices for the American consumer. Instead, the energy law provided billions of dollars in tax breaks for oil and gas companies, and these are companies that are already experiencing record profits. What about the American people? Well, as Alter explains in the Time Magazine article, they are not in the Republican leadership's black book and so their concerns really don't matter to the Republican leadership. Mr. Speaker, whether you are in New Jersey or wherever you happen to be, the American people do not like what is happening here in Washington. They see examples of cronyism in every Republican corridor and they want it to stop.…”