Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9487. This bipartisan bill amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 to clarify the responsibilities of the Deputy Legislative Counsel and grant the Legislative Counsel the authority to designate a deputy to carry out their duties in the event of an absence or vacancy in the position. We may be repeating ourselves quite a bit here, but I think that just indicates our support and cooperation that we were able to generate to pass this package of bills, which I am grateful for. The Office of the Legislative Counsel, as my learned colleague has indicated, plays an essential role in supporting the work of Congress by providing impartial and confidential drafting services to Members and committees. The office is critical in our ability to function as an institution, and it enables us to work more efficiently on behalf of the American people. The expert attorneys within the Office of the Legislative Counsel draft tens of thousands of bills and resolutions each Congress. That number grows exponentially when accounting for the many drafts of measures as they are refined, as well as the increasing number of amendments submitted by Members to the various committees. I would like to take a moment to briefly recognize two of those attorneys right now. First, I thank Wade Ballou for his more than 40 years of service with the office.…”