Charles Rangel: “I would hope that this discussion at the end of the day would tend to bring more civility to the relationship between…”

“I would hope that this discussion at the end of the day would tend to bring more civility to the relationship between the minority and the majority Members. We can continue the animosity. We can continue the ill feelings. But this would not serve our Nation well, and it certainly should not make Democrats or Republicans more proud to be a Member of this august body. We should be proud when we differ when we debate; but once we start eroding and abusing the powers of the majority, we do not do it for this Congress, but we do it for the Congress that follows. We do not have that right. No one person has the right to take away the rights that have been given to us by the Constitution in this great Nation. Last night, just before midnight, a substitute pension bill was filed. After midnight, its description was filed. The underlying bill was a $230 billion bill of 207 pages. The substitute was a $50 billion bill and 90 pages. Members of our committee, Democratic members and I would suspect Republicans as well, had no clue as to the fact that this was coming up on a Friday; and when it did come up, we did not have time to read to see what were the major differences between the substitute and the underlying bill.”