On the recordMay 20, 2013
I thank the distinguished gentleman for raising some very eloquent points and doing it in such a thoughtful and passionate way. These are solutions, Mr. Speaker, that we really should be discussing in the context of a conference committee to come to some resolution around the budget. For about 4 years, Members of the other side of the aisle were complaining about the absence of regular order, but this year we passed a budget in the House of Representatives in March. The Senate then passed their budget plan in the same month. The President came back in April, after we got back from recess, and presented his budget. The next step in regular order, which the House GOP has been asking for for 4 years, would be to appoint conferees so the Senate and the House can sit down and work it out and discuss some of the solutions that Representative Horsford and other Representatives of the American people have put forth to deal with our economic situation, make higher education more affordable, and provide businesses with the certainty that they need. And so the question is, What is the House GOP afraid of? Why haven't you appointed conferees so we can sit down and have a discussion to work out the issues and the problems that are confronting the American people? We've been joined by another distinguished member of the freshman class, one of the newest Members of the House of Representatives, Representative Robin Kelly from the great State of Illinois.
