David Obey: “this is another one of those ``let's pretend'' devices that I guess we are going to be afflicted with the next 2 days.…”

“this is another one of those ``let's pretend'' devices that I guess we are going to be afflicted with the next 2 days. This amendment doesn't do nothing to nobody, and it doesn't do nothing for somebody. The fact is that it pretends to move $37 million out of this account, and then it puts $37 million back into this account and pretends that something has been accomplished. There is no congressional direction that I know of that's being accomplished by this amendment. There is no consensus about what it does. It makes no changes in either the bill or the report. As a practical matter, it doesn't do anything except let somebody pretend that they have just done something for nurses' education. If it makes you feel good to play a ``let's pretend'' game, go ahead and vote for it. But let's not kid ourselves. This amendment is not a real amendment. It has no real impact. It pretends to have an increase. It has, in fact, no offset. It's simply a shell game. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.”