David Obey: “This bill originally contained an emergency designation for funding for the Center for Disease Control to respond to…”

“This bill originally contained an emergency designation for funding for the Center for Disease Control to respond to bioterrorism attacks, as only that institution has the capacity to do. The committee designated it as an emergency. But then the organization in the Republican Caucus known as the CATS objected, and so the Committee on Rules did not protect the emergency designation for that money in the rule. This amendment, while it is being offered by my friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), it really, I suppose, ought to be called the Coburn amendment. Because when the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn) struck the protection on the point of order, it left this bill some $500 million over its budget ceiling. I would simply suggest that it is too bad that my good friend had to be put in a position to offer this amendment, because I do not think he believes it is good public policy any more than I do.”