Political Quotes

“I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to how I began my remarks today, and that is to say that the measure before us has not gone through regular order in the House of Representatives. There were no hearings, no markup. It just showed up in the rules for us. And somehow or another, that seems to be a pattern that is developing around here, where we are not legislating, we are rulemaking. In the final analysis, many Members and their constituents are being shut out. Mr. Speaker, the decision to have an abortion is obviously a very, very difficult decision for a woman, and it is one that must be made, in my judgment--and my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Polis) always says that it is not the Oversight Committee's--which is hearing right now, as we speak, from Planned Parenthood providers--or the Energy and Commerce Committee's decision for a woman's right to choose. The freedom of choice measure, since 1960, has been a part of Medicaid in this country, and now we would tear that fabric and divide this country with an issue that the only committee that should be in charge is the committee formed by a woman, her doctor, and God. {time} 1315 There is no place for the ideological whims of politicians in that determination. I said last night I know where this is headed. I have seen it now for 22 years.…”