David Thomas: “if anyone ever wondered what was meant by the old phrase, ``cut off your nose to spite your face,'' we have got exhibit…”

“if anyone ever wondered what was meant by the old phrase, ``cut off your nose to spite your face,'' we have got exhibit A in front of us in this motion to recommit. The gentleman from California talked about the committee Web sites, that we have to go through hundreds of pages. Just a short time ago I showed our colleagues the pages. It is right on the front page. They even use an icon of a donkey for those who are not sure where they are supposed to go. We provide a book mark, go to that site once, and then in the software the return user can go directly to the minority site. Every committee has it except the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. What he proposes to do is cut out the employees in HIR that assist in the more than 180 Web sites. Democrats and Republicans, we heard speech after speech about wanting an open Congress, wanting a House that was more willing to work with people on the outside, and we were not willing to do that by having the committees with the majority and the minority tied together like it is everywhere else. I say to my colleagues, ``This amendment cuts off your nose to spite your face. You are going to deny support services to Democrats as well as Republicans, to groups like freshmen Democrats and freshmen Republicans so you can make a point backed up by facts that simply are not so.'' I would urge a ``no'' vote on the motion to recommit.”