David Obey

The fact is that they never bothered to send a dime to the needy veterans of the country. And so it was only after the Democrats took control of the House that we added $3.4 billion to the veterans health care budget and sent it to the…

The last person in the world I will take lectures from on the appropriations process is the gentleman from California. The fact is that when he was the chairman of the Appropriations Committee last year, they never bothered to send any…

Now that I have the boilerplate out of the way, Madam Speaker, let me simply make a very few observations. Madam Speaker, it is now "put-up or shut up" time in the House. This is a bipartisan bill. When the bill first passed the House, we…

The fact is that last November the public sent two messages to Washington. The first is that they wanted a change in Iraqi policy and the second is that they wanted a change in priorities here at home. The President has decided to stiff…

Are you saying that it didn't make sense when your party did what we are doing today 56 times? Is that what you are saying?

Let me simply say that of all people, the gentleman who just spoke is way off base when he cries about being denied an opportunity to deal with an amendment. It was his amendment for $50,000 that this House debated for 4 hours without…

I'm sorry, but the record shows that in the year 2000, when you were chairman, on three occasions, Transportation, Labor-H and Agriculture, you reported self-executing rules.

No. They were always Republican amendments, in contrast to this, which are both Republican and Democrat.

I appreciate the compliment. But let me suggest that I would appreciate it, if we have conducted ourselves the way the gentleman thinks we should, then I would appreciate that he would not visit his frustrations on other legislation on the…

I think on this issue there are certainly questions of equity on both sides. I think they need to be resolved. I understand why the FBI wants to follow the policy that they follow. I also understand why agents themselves feel it is unfair…

And given the performance of the Attorney General in the other body yesterday, I see no great harm in taking $6 million away from him; so I would be happy to accept your amendment.

In accepting this amendment, I would make the following two points: One, I believe it is merely a re-statement of current law which already prohibits the employment of unauthorized aliens. I do not read it as imposing any new burdens on…

This amendment is not related to abortion. This amendment is a frontal assault on family planning. Make no mistake about it. Whether you are pro-life or whether you are pro-choice or anything in between, you ought to be pro-family…

But let me simply say, Madam Chairman, these cuts, these will be cuts in terms of the services that we are trying to provide to these people. It is immoral. It is unconscionable that we allow 44 million Americans to go without health…

Let me ask why don't we say enough is enough to spending $600 billion in a futile and fruitless and misguided war in Iraq? Why don't we say enough is enough in putting the needs of millionaires who are going to get $57 billion in tax cuts…

It will give total authority to the executive branch, and that is not a healthy thing.

I will be happy to continue to work with the gentleman in conference in the future to obtain the highest level possible for SSA. I know it is a very important problem.

Let me say, I hope anything is funded on the Senate side. I would like to thank both gentlemen for their passion and attention to this program, and I will be happy to join both of you in encouraging reauthorization of this program.

I am familiar with the NYSP program given the fact of that the University of Wisconsin-Superior in my district hosted a program in 2005. I acknowledge the good work that the program has accomplished, and I am looking forward to working…

I support retaining the language in conference that directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to execute an agreement to transfer the three Job Corps centers currently administered by the National Park Service to the U.S…

I can't believe my ears. I just thought I heard the gentleman say that IDEA was underfunded. I'm shocked. I've never heard the gentleman say that anything was underfunded before.

Let me simply say I agree with the gentlelady from California. The Children's GME is integral to ensuring a stable future for our children's hospitals and is a sound investment in children's health. I certainly will do everything I can to…

I want to underscore that I agree with my friend from New York and to emphasize that in parts of my own State, school districts face similar problems. In fact, I would bet this problem exists all over the country. Furthermore, I understand…

That is a very quaint interpretation of the House rules. And, nonetheless, it does not at all address the fact that the amendment proposes to increase the level of outlays in the bill, which I assume as a good conservative, the gentleman…

Could the gentleman tell me, have there been any more labor leaders indicted lately than Members of Congress?