Paul Tonko: “If the gentlelady would yield, you talk about telling statements on the floor or the behavior in and around Washington…”

“If the gentlelady would yield, you talk about telling statements on the floor or the behavior in and around Washington that proves very telling, actions sometimes speaking louder than words. The activity that has taken place on this floor as it dealt with America COMPETES, here was a major bill invested in by the Science and Tech Committee, a number of groups overviewing this legislation, monumental to the future of America's workforce, to manufacturing, to investment in basic research, in R&D. And there were all sorts of efforts made to hear everyone, to be totally inclusive about that final package that was developed and then presented on this floor, approved in committees and travels to the floor, and then the game of 'gotcha' politics takes hold. We use all kinds of stall tactics, all sorts of gimmicks to embarrass, to trap people, to really circumvent the real issue of how do you strengthen manufacturing, how do you put together a package that invests in the research monies that are required.”