David Obey: “Yes, I do, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago the Labor, Health appropriation bill was defeated on this floor largely…”

“Yes, I do, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago the Labor, Health appropriation bill was defeated on this floor largely because it contained inadequate investments in education and health. Today, the bill is back, and what this motion would do is to say to the majority that if they do not want to recognize the need for additional education and health funding, that they at least recognize that an emergency situation exists with respect to the rapidly rising home heating costs with natural gas, for instance, expected to be 50 percent higher than it was last year and with only 15 percent of persons in the country who are eligible getting help from LIHEAP as it is. I would simply ask the majority to withdraw the point of order in order to allow us to simply proceed to at least debate and vote on the question of rearranging priorities so that we can add $2 billion to the Low Income Heating Assistance Program and fully pay for that by cutting back the scheduled tax cut for persons who make over $1 million to $131,000. I think that is quite ample for them. I would urge the gentleman from Ohio to withdraw his point of order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is prepared to rule on the point of order. The Chair finds that the proposed instructions dwell their operative focus on matters not within the scope of differences committed to the conference by the two Houses. On these premises, the Chair holds that the motion is not in order. The point of order is sustained.…”