Political Quotes

“the House will soon consider a motion to go to conference on H.R. 3005, the fast track bill. Normally, the process for beginning a conference is a noncontroversial pro forma exercise, but attempts at passage of a special rule make clear that the current process is anything but normal. The presumptive chairman of the conference has made clear he does not trust the conferees. He has a vision of how he wants the conference to proceed, and he wants to eliminate any chance that things will not go his way. The Republicans are employing an arcane, rarely-used procedure that I do not believe I have seen in my 10 years in Congress, to stack the deck against Democrats on the conference committee and to deny any vote on a Democratic alternative on fast track trade legislation. The Republicans are attempting to abuse the House process by adding up to a dozen new items that the House has never had an opportunity vote on, has had no hearings to discuss, nor has even considered. These changes include gutting the other body's health care assistance for workers suffering from our trade policies, creates a weaker version of the other body's trade adjustment assistance, and it completely strikes the Dayton-Craig provisions that are designed to ensure that Congress has a role in protecting U.S. trade laws. The rule goes well beyond normal procedures, completely unnecessary to begin the fast track conference.”