Joe Barton

This bill will not last. It is based on a fatal assumption that one party acting unilaterally can dictate the entire will of the American people on one-sixth of the economy. That will not happen. It reignites the abortion debate. It is…

I guess the other thing that I need to point out to Members of the body and to the American public is, because of the procedure, this is all deemed, apparently--and I hate to use that word. This is all defined to be emergency, and so it's…

We have all seen the television program ``Deal or No Deal'' where you look at this case and you decide whether you want that case or you don't want the case and take the deal or not take the deal. Well, that's what we have, except this…

I rise in support and honor of the late Congressman Charlie Wilson of the Second Congressional District of Texas. I didn't know Congressman Wilson in his salad days. I didn't get elected until 1984. By that time, he had calmed down…

As a sixth-generation native Texan, I want to commend you for honoring Texas Independence Day, March 2, the 174th birthday of the Republic of Texas. I commend you for the fine work that you do, not just for your constituency in the Houston…

This is a good first step. But if this is all we do, it's a sterile step. On the other hand, if you really follow up and include everybody in the process, you're more than likely to get a solution that everybody signs off on.

Mr. Speaker, we're here today to honor one of the true lions of the Congress. I feel like since this is the third time I've made this type of a speech that I'm at a funeral, except for the fact that our honoree is not only alive, but he's…

But the real reason I'm here is that I'm getting a little bit frustrated on behalf of the American people of being shut out of the process. We have this suspension bill and then three or four others from the Science Committee this…

The fact that we're honoring this fine gentleman today does not mean that he can rest on his laurels. I fully expect within the month to be totally engaged on opposite sides in the public health care debate as he tries to fulfill one of…

I understand Chairman Waxman's desire to beef up the staff, and that is understandable as a new chairman.

First, let me say I rise in support of the motion to instruct. But what I really want to talk about is President Obama's call for bipartisanship. We heard it last night in his press conference; we have heard it in every major speech that…

I certainly commend Chairman Waxman for trying to alleviate some of the suffering of the staff relocation.

A budget freeze would not be the end of the world for this committee or for the Congress.

What I cannot do, with all due respect, is support the entire increase that Chairman Waxman has just outlined of 11.4 percent this year and 10 percent next year.

I would hope you all would abolish it. Whatever needs to be done, between Mr. Waxman's troops and my scalawag band of troops, we can get it done. We don't need the Select Committee.

I would add one item to Chairman Waxman's agenda. That is the reauthorization of the National Institute of Health.

Madam Speaker, we're here today to have another debate about SCHIP, another incidence of where we have a bill that's come over from the Senate slightly different than came from the House. In the case of this SCHIP bill, I don't recall…

If it is personal affirmation, when you sign up for SCHIP they say, ``Are you U.S. citizen?'' And if your parent says you are, you are. That's what personal affirmation is. So I hope we could somehow pull out a miracle and defeat this bill…

Let me start out by stating that the majority is trying to fix a problem that I do not think really exists. We have sent out 33 million coupons: 22 million of those coupons have been redeemed, and 11 million coupons are outstanding. The…

I will try to make this as succinct as possible. The motion to commit before us says that notwithstanding any other provision in the bill that is before us, those stations that have spectrum that is going to be used by public safety…

Madam Speaker, we are here on the same issue that we were here on last week when, under the suspension of the rules, the House tried to pass a bill to delay the digital television transition period from February 17 to June 12. Wisely, the…

as we debate this new SCHIP bill, I think it is important to figure out what we know about the bill and the undemocratic methods that produced it. First, we know that few, if any, Members of Congress actually have read the bill. Despite…

I am told when he was a young man, he sold ice cream cones and Popsicles outside of Fenway Park. I am also told that he bought or purchased those ice cream cones and Popsicles at a very low price, and he tended to mark the price to market…

We do have a serious issue here, Mr. Speaker. We have known for several years that we needed to fix the current system for physician reimbursement. We also have known that in some of the other issues that have been put into this bill, that…

Reclaiming my time, it seems to me that given the circumlocutory answer that I got from my friend from Massachusetts, that he did tend to price somewhat above the market, and he seems to at the time take glee in it.