Gerald Kleczka: “I think what is at issue here is under current law there is a 30-day comment period. Those members of the public who are…”

“I think what is at issue here is under current law there is a 30-day comment period. Those members of the public who are interested in the proposal can come forward to either support or to oppose. In my office, I have received numerous letters and petitions from residents of the State of Wisconsin who watched the bill pass the State legislature, watched the Governor sign it, and now they want to have their say as to whether or not these 75, not 1, but 75 waivers, should be granted. Mr. Speaker, they run from soup to nuts. Even if the President supports this, and I cannot speak for him, nor can he speak for me, regardless, the law would still provide that 30 days will be used for a comment period, and then the President can decide and the Secretary of HHS and everyone else. So that is what we are asking be done here. This is being foisted upon us on a day when the Congress is not in session. We have six bills up when Congress is not in session, this is the seventh, which has not even been printed yet. The purported offeror, the gentleman from Racine, Kenosha, he himself, when asked on the floor tonight, did not know himself what the waivers were all about. He is being used as some kind of pawn here. It is really sad what is going on. The only thing we are asking is let us let the people of Wisconsin, on an issue that greatly affects them, be heard. That is what they are asking me to provide for them. Mr. Speaker, this resolution, this action, cuts off the 30 days.”