Jim Sensenbrenner: “I would like to lay to rest the fact that we have not had a full and complete debate on this. This year, on March 16…”

“I would like to lay to rest the fact that we have not had a full and complete debate on this. This year, on March 16, the Committee on the Judiciary had a full markup on this bill. Anybody who wished to offer amendments was allowed to do so. Our committee publishes the complete transcript of markups as a part of the committee report. This transcript goes on for 160 pages in the committee report, which shows that everybody had an opportunity to speak their peace. There were 23 amendments that were offered, and all of them were voted down by overwhelming margins. Now, amending this bill is what the people who wish no bankruptcy reform have in mind because they know the other body has had difficulty in finding time to debate this bill and vote cloture. The gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), whom I greatly respect, has voted against this bill every time it has come up when she has cast a vote in a rollcall. Much of the complaints we are going to be hearing are coming from Members who wish to sink this bill through amendments. They have never supported it in the past. They are against it even if it were amended, and that is why the rule is the way it is.”