Joe Barton: “I especially want to commend Congresswoman DeGette. She has been fighting these fights almost as long as I have.”

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank you, sir, for appearing voluntarily without subpoena and standing or sitting there all by yourself.

I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for her kind words. I appreciate the nice gift I got yesterday from her and her husband, his new book, ``The Dean.'' I look forward to reading it over Christmas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the…

The allegation that we made, the Republicans, is that you're discriminatory against us--against the Republicans.

I was in Senate Chamber trying to prevent a hold on H.R. 7217. I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 434. ____________________