Bob Menendez: “we can hear all the spin and diversion that the majority wants to lay there, but this is the point: this morning in the…”

“we can hear all the spin and diversion that the majority wants to lay there, but this is the point: this morning in the People's House, the heart of our great American democracy, the Republican chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means called the police, the police, in an attempt to break up a meeting of House Democrats. Why did he call the police? Because he did not like what Democrats were meeting about and that Democrats as the minority availed themselves of what little protection they have under the rules. This is what Republicans have come to in the running of this House. If they do not like what we say, even in a private meeting, they will try to have us arrested. If we object, and they do not like it, they will try to have us arrested. Does that sound like America to you? Or does that sound like some sort of police state? Our distinguished Speaker should be in the chair and alarmed that this happened under your watch. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. An example of that is the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) calling the Department of Homeland Security to track down Texas legislators. Where does this end? This institution cannot and must not tolerate this sort of abusive and intimidating behavior. And this one will not be swept under the rug until justice is done. Some of us come from families that fled this kind of persecution.”