David Obey: “let me first address the gentleman's comments about process and time. We have been negotiating with the Senate and with…”

“let me first address the gentleman's comments about process and time. We have been negotiating with the Senate and with the White House since last Friday. At approximately 12:30 last night, the majority staff on the Appropriations Committee finally wrapped up our work in putting this package together. At about 1:00, we communicated what that package was to the minority staff on the Appropriations Committee. It couldn't have been communicated any earlier because it wasn't done until 12:30. One of the reasons it wasn't done is because as late as 10:00 last night, the White House was still squawking about individual provisions in the bill. And the last time I looked, the White House was in Republican hands. Now, we have negotiated in good faith. I hate this agreement. I am going to vote against the major portion of this agreement even though I negotiated it, because I think that the White House is in a cloud somewhere in terms of understanding the realities in Iraq. But let's not get our nose out of joint about the way this package was put together. We have tried in good faith to find a way to put the administration's request and their opponent's position on the floor on an equal footing to give everybody an opportunity to vote however they wanted on it.”