Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I share the gentleman from Connecticut's (Mr. Larson) concern that an expedited special election should be open to as many eligible candidates as possible. However, this amendment, although I do not believe intended, would indirectly undermine the very core of H.R. 2844, which is the establishment of a time frame for conducting expedited special elections that promptly fill House vacancies while still providing the necessary time for election preparation. This amendment would permit each State to determine how much or how little time it needs to conduct a special election, thereby rendering meaningless H.R. 2844's 45-day time frame for conducting those elections. The framework for expedited special elections that is set forth in H.R. 2844 represents a balanced approach, taking into consideration both the need for an accelerated reconstitution of the House and also the need for adequate election preparation time. This amendment would knock that framework out of balance and would in all likelihood unnecessarily prolong the period that many American people would be without representation in the House of Representatives in the aftermath of a catastrophic attack.”