Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this provision should be defeated, for three reasons. One, it is an exercise in hypocrisy. Secondly, history has shown that it does not work. And thirdly, it may mitigate against this Congress making the kind of very difficult decisions that may be necessitated in the near future. I say that it is an exercise in hypocrisy because, in January of 1995, in the Contract with America, the new Republican majority included this as a rule that would guide the House, and it passed in the House. But every single time that we have had a tax bill, primarily a tax cut bill, but a bill that had provisions that actually increased taxes, the Committee on Rules had to waive this very rule. So every time that we have had a tax bill, the Committee on Rules included in the rule a waiver of this very provision. So for us now to consider this and even to consider voting for it in light of our past experience, it seems to me, is an exercise in hypocrisy. We know it will not work.”