Political Quotes

“let me explain the problem. Last night, as my colleagues are aware, in my district we had a mine incident where we have nine miners trapped. The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) offered an amendment which I was interested in and was concerned about and was not able to talk about because of the work we were doing with the mine rescue effort. Just to report to the Members, the drill bit broke, as many saw on TV, and we are trying to drill another hole. The shafts are big and it is very, very difficult. We have not heard anything for over a day and a half. We have gone as far as 5 days, but the water, we are pumping the water out and hot air in and doing everything we can. There has been marvelous cooperation with the Federal Government, the State government, the local commissioners, and my guy has been out there for 2 straight days. So we are hopeful. But the reason I rise is that the gentleman from Kentucky offered an amendment last night which I am concerned about. I am concerned that it involves posse comitatus. We are allowing the military to get involved in civilian affairs. I worry that even the Germans had the Gestapo picking people up; I worry that the Russians had their special agency picking people up; and I am worried that this amendment would delegate to an unelected official the ability to have police authority.”