For the People Act of 2019
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Chair, I just wanted to come down. I was listening to this debate. Some of it is good-hearted because, frankly, you just don't want to get so frustrated with a bill that was so rushed with 600-and-some pages that was not gone through.
I pointed out on the floor yesterday, Madam Chair, that there is a part of this bill that actually does--go back and read it. The chairwoman of this great committee, whom I have a lot of respect for would not have done this, I believe, if she was allowed to have done this, but it actually criminalizes keeping a 4-year-old from voting.
Now, this amendment is fine, but it goes to this issue: Ten committees had jurisdiction. One of the biggest was the Judiciary Committee on which I am the ranking member. We had a hearing, but no markup--don't want to get close to that; Oversight, hearing, no markup. This is what happens when you rush bills to the floor.
This is what happens when your agenda is bigger than the process. This is what happens when you don't care what is on the floor, you just want a talking point.
If we are going to continue this for 2 years, fine. The American people will see through this. But I think my ranking member from committee is correct. You cannot continue to do this and people not figure out we are not sure what is going on anymore.
This is a frustrating point with this because some of this could have been caught. We probably still wouldn't have agreed on much of this. Some of this bill is actually good, Supreme Court ethics and some other things in here we could have worked on.
But when you come to the floor like this and you don't mark it up and you do it like this, this is what you get: the hope of a lot of amendments to clarify, the hope of a lot of amendments to change.
Just do the work of committee. That is what I don't understand.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Chair, Mr. Collins is showing, once again, that in the immortal words of the best-selling band of the 2000s, Nickelback, if today was your last day, I would always yield to my good friend from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
Vote ``no.''
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Chair, I appreciate the chair here, and I do want to follow up on that.
I think the price of democracy has actually been paid by the blood, sweat, death, and lives of those who have fought for this country for over 200-something years.
That is the price of democracy. Those of us who have seen it in Iraq and other places, while serving there, understand that.
It is not found in a 600-page bill being rushed to the floor, not going through markup. Let's at least be very honest about that.
I appreciate the gentleman wanting to involve others in that. I appreciate wanting to make sure that we have young people's involvement. But we are also, frankly, as Members of this body, given a great opportunity.
There is not a high school, elementary school, or middle school in this country that would turn us away. We can go anytime we are in our district workweeks and encourage those teachers who are trying every day to teach them reading, writing, and civic responsibility. That is what our jobs give us the ultimate privilege of doing.
I appreciate the chairwoman of the committee saying that we are going to have vigorous outreach. She just said: Well, $25 million spread over the life of this bill is not that much.
It is either a lot of outreach or it is a little bit of money or really, frankly, it is neither. It is just a feel-good to make sure that we are getting people involved, which we should be doing.
I don't think I want to join in an attack on teachers, who are trying their best to instill civics, by saying we are not doing it well enough, and we are going to give a little bit of money spread out very thinly across the country to do something that our teachers strive every day in classrooms to do.
I respect the work of those teachers who are doing that, and I think Members of Congress ought to be able to go in and do what we do, take our office and go to the very ones who we are encouraging to show them that we are human, that we do understand, that we listen, and we answer all their questions, no matter how small or how large those questions are.
It is one of the greatest joys that I have, going to these schools each and every time I can and listening to them and saying: You can do this.
I was once an intern here, and I share that story. When they come to my office, they can see that.
That is what it takes.
I appreciate the gentleman's intent. I have never questioned his intent. I want to see this happen as well. But it also happens many times in this body. We believe money and a little bit of conversation has it.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source