House Proceeding on Jul 29th, 2009 :: 2:29:55 to 2:33:20
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2:29:55 to 2:33:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Norman D. Dicks

2:30:13 to 2:30:35( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: reality of the minority offering 600 amendments, 600 amendments which would -- that would take us days to go through 600 amendments, we've got other issues that have to be dealt with. and i'm not going to yield at this point until i finish. it would -- the first year that

2:30:36 to 2:30:58( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: i was chairman of the interior and environment appropriations committee we looked back at it, the year before we were minority, it took us eight hours to go through the entire bill. the first year we were in the majority it was 22 hours. and there was no limit to the amount of amendments that could be offered.

2:30:59 to 2:31:19( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: so i think we had to do this. this was the responsible thing to do was to limit the numr of amendments, let the people like mr. flake, mr. campbell who want to pick out some of the earmarks that they are against, let them haveheir moment to address these issues and deal with any other substantive matters. but in order to

2:31:20 to 2:31:40( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: done, we could not let this thing to be open ended when one side does want to abuse the process, unfortunately. now, if we could have gotten an agement, and i'm told that our leadership went over, met with mr. boehner, mr. hoyer and mr. obey and mr. boehner and mr. lewis and tried to wor

2:31:41 to 2:32:05( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: something. now, the way you'd work this out -- and the gentleman from california and i are good friends. and we work together on many important trade issues over the years. i have great respect for him. but the way to work this thing out is for the two sides to get together before we go to the floor and limit the number of amendments, limit the number of

2:32:06 to 2:32:26( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: amendments and then have a unanimous consent agreement if both sides could control their members. mr. dreier: will the gentleman yield on that point? mr. dicks: i will yield. mr. dreier: let me say that -- the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. mr. polis: i yield one minute to the geneman from washington. mr. dreier: if the gentleman will further yield.

2:32:27 to 2:32:47( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: let me say that i disagree with all due respect about my friend about the notion of doing it before the process has even begun. let me go back to where we were. mr. dicks: but then there's -- there's a lack of trust here because if we -- if we can't get an agreement, which the leadership on both sides embrace, then there's no reason because there's an element within the gentleman's party

2:32:48 to 2:33:10( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: that wants to offer unlimited amendments. mr. dreier: as was happening in 1997, we can go upstairs to the rules committee if we have recalcitrant members on each side of the aisle and shut down the process and there wouldn't be resistance if we try that open process. i thank my friend for yielding. mr. dicks: we got our work done.

2:33:11 to 2:33:20( Edit History Discussion )

Norman D. Dicks: all 12 bills will be enacted before the august recess. this hasn't happened in years. i which we could have had an open process. when the minority is talking