Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my frustration in the process by which this bill was brought to the floor and my disappointment that the process has yielded a bill that I cannot support. This bill did not go through regular order. The Judiciary Committee did not hold any hearings or markups on the bill. And now under a Closed Rule, Members do not have the opportunity to offer amendments, let alone debate the merits of specific sections they wish to change. I submitted an amendment to H.R. 36 that would have extended the exception for all incest victims. Under a Closed Rule, this amendment was rejected. Incest victims are victims regardless of their age. What some people call ``consensual incest'' often begins as child sexual abuse. Even if the relationship continues into adulthood, there is still a perpetrator and still a victim. In addition, it is hugely unfair to require an incest victim to report a relative to the police. In the future, should the House again consider legislation railing to abortion, I urge my colleagues to bring the bill through regular order so that all Members can participate in the debate over this sensitive issue. The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows: An Amendment to H. Res. 38 Offered by Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts At the end of the resolution, add the following new sections: Sec. 3.…”