Political Quotes

“this next vote may be the most important political vote we cast this year, so I advise the Members to listen up. Mr. Chairman, the amendment I refer to is the Hayes-Solomon amendment, which was denied in committee, in the Rules Committee. We are taking this action to require an up-or-down vote on the mandatory minimum sentencing of criminals. The Rules Committee refused to make this amendment in order and did not want this critical debate to take place on the floor. If the debate did take place, it would have a similar outcome to that of the Solomon amendment which passed with 303 votes yesterday. The issues are that comparable. Mr. Chairman, title II in the bill reduces mandatory minimum sentences for felons convicted of serious drug offenses and it applies retroactively. Members had better listen to this because it offsets every district back home. The bill applies retroactively, which means that thousands of drug pushers currently serving mandatory sentences are going to appeal and be released from prison back onto the streets and neighborhoods in all our districts. The Rules Committee denied Congressman Hayes and myself the opportunity to offer our amendment that would correct this. At the very least, the House should be given the opportunity to debate it.”