Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, while the recent changes in the rule announced by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] certainly improve the bill, and I will strongly be supporting the Dellums amendment, among others, it is my view that when we are dealing with a $268 billion authorization, an authorization which ultimately determines the priorities of this country, that every Member of this body who has thought about this issue has a right to have their amendment offered on the floor of the House and debated on the floor of the House. In a fundamental way, today we are discussing the priorities of this Nation. We are talking about spending tens and tens of billions of dollars on weapons systems that many experts think we do not need while at the same time Members of Congress want to cut back on Medicare, want to cut back on Medicaid, while we continue to have the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world, while people are sleeping on the street, while millions of families cannot afford to send their kids to college. Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about today are national priorities. Do we put more money into B-2 bombers and less money into health care for our senior citizens? More money into submarines and not adequately fund education or health care for the people? Those are issues of enormous consequence. Every Member of this body should have a right to participate in that debate.”