House Proceeding on Oct 29th, 2009 :: 0:51:00 to 0:55:40
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0:50:57 to 0:51:19( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: time in the history of our republic, i'm going to urge my colleagues to vote no on this rule and to vote no on the with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. hastings: before yeelings to my -- yielding to my good friend the chairman of the interior subcommittee, mr. dicks, i want

0:51:00 to 0:55:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Alcee L. Hastings

0:51:20 to 0:51:41( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: to make a couple of points seguing off of my colleague's comments. my good friend, mr. dreier, regarding the continuing resolution. he and i have been in this back anforth process for a very long time. and one thing i know that my good friend knows is that the

0:51:42 to 0:52:02( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: continuing resolution is necessary to keep the government operating until we are able to comple process. it must be passed this week and including it in the interior conference report is just the most expedient way to get it to the president's desk.

0:52:03 to 0:52:24( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: it will merely ensure that government programs remain funded through december 18 while we move quickly to fulfill our congressional responsibilities to provide funding for the rest of the fiscal year. in the meantime, the continuing resolution in this conference report is basically a clean c.r.

0:52:25 to 0:52:47( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: with the addition of several vital programs to ensure that people do not lose their housing, people have mtgage origination, and that the market remains stable, and small businesses are able to get loans in this period of economic turmoil. one of the most important responsibilities of congress is

0:52:48 to 0:53:08( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: to keep the government running efficiently and effectively. even under the best of circumstances, and i have seen it now for coming up on 19 years, with cooperation on both sides of the aisle, the annual appropriations process is a cumbersome and time consuming

0:53:09 to 0:53:30( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: process that must be completed with a relatively short lifetime while i agree with my colleague from san dimas, he's not on the floor. he is but he's busy. i agree with him, his staff will

0:53:31 to 0:53:51( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: tell him, that we have, as he put it, a supermajority in the democratic party. we have the white house, we have the house of representatives, and we have 60 in the united states senate. and that is a good thing. but i was here when the

0:53:52 to 0:54:12( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: repuans thing, and the control of both houses. what they did no have was the 60 votes. now, what i want to make clear here and for the american people so that we can get this passed this discussion, talking about 60 votes is not what's needed.

0:54:13 to 0:54:33( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: you only need but 50 because the vice president probably would vote with his party. some would advocate that we do this measure thisay because 67%, it seems, of the american public want us to move on the health care provision. but all things considered what my colleague knows and what all

0:54:34 to 0:54:55( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: of us in the house of representatives know at every level is that the senate is the other body, and each one of those snorts -- senators, is an entity unto his or herself. and somehow or another i refer to them as junio they have enormous power, they have enormous independence, it

0:54:56 to 0:55:17( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: doesn't matter what party they are in when they are about the business of legislating what they want done. that's why the process has slowed down not because of a majority. it's been slowed down ever since i'm here. all of that time for the reason that there is the other body that has their rules, their

0:55:18 to 0:55:38( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: regulations, arcane, though they may be, that makes it difficult for uso do our business. the house can pass stuff. the senate has difficulty getting agreement to get to the numbers that are necessary to get past filibusters and the numbers to get the different

0:55:39 to 0:55:40( Edit History Discussion )

Alcee L. Hastings: things that each senator wants