David Obey: “Mr. Chairman, on each of the last three appropriation bills, we were asked by the majority to agree to an overall time…”

“Mr. Chairman, on each of the last three appropriation bills, we were asked by the majority to agree to an overall time limit so that we could finish the bills on a reasonable time schedule, and we agreed on all three of those bills. Last night, at the close of business, at the direction of the minority leader, I went to the majority and indicated that we would appreciate it if at the beginning of business today, sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., that the majority would present to us a proposal for time limits on all amendments pending on the bill so that we could get some kind of time agreement so that Members would know where they were, and we could finish this bill at a reasonable time. We did not receive an offer until fairly late, as you can see, this evening. I asked the majority leader why it took so long before we could begin negotiations on this bill, and the response that I got was that sometimes bills have to ripen. I, frankly, think that this debate and this bill at this point is over ripe.”