Rob Andrews: “we are gathered tonight in a place of great and high honor. This is a Chamber in which decisions that have profoundly…”

“we are gathered tonight in a place of great and high honor. This is a Chamber in which decisions that have profoundly affected the history of our Nation and of humankind have been debated with great dignity and honor. In this Chamber we have debated questions of civil rights, questions of war and peace, questions of education and health care. And what brings honor to this institution and what humbles each one of us privileged enough to serve in this institution is the process of debate, of exchanging ideas, of laying before the people of the Nation, the people of the world, our divergent and heartfelt views. What we are doing tonight in this Chamber does not measure up to the standards of honor of this Chamber. Because this bill is being used as a vehicle to make a decision of monumental importance for the future of this country, but we are not debating that decision. We will not take a vote on that decision. We will not let the public hear our voices on that decision. There is a plan to move innocuous language in this bill that talks about protecting the full faith and credit of the United States to a conference with the other body. There is an anticipation that the other body will add a law which authorizes the borrowing of $750 billion, the bill which will be handed off to the children of this country.…”