Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 2638, Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2638, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 12, 2007)

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my distinguished colleague yielding me this time.

Sitting here listening, I am puzzled by some of the things being said. First of all, we are having folks thank the majority party for having them give us an open rule. I find it very unusual that we would have to thank somebody for doing what is right. You ought to thank somebody when they do something that is above and beyond what is the right thing to do.

I also find it very difficult to understand how the appropriations chairman can say that they have had to deal with the Iraq problem for 3 months; and therefore, they have not had time to do their work.

Who is in charge here? You all are in charge. You should have been able to do your work. You let yourself get bogged down for 3 months on something that was totally useless, and here you are blaming the minority party. I find it unbelievable that you don't accept the fact that you are in charge of things. What is the ``existing Republican process''? You all are in charge. You can't blame us.

I want to quote from the Rules Committee chairman on 1-4-07, ``Our rules package requires full disclosure of earmarks in all bills and conference reports before Members are asked to vote on them,'' not 30 days afterwards, but before.

Where are those earmarks, Madam Chairman? I don't see them in here.

The American people were promised transparency, truthfulness, openness in this process. They were sold a bill of goods. They don't want more secrecy, they want less secrecy. The Democrats said, We will have a new day. This is much worse than anything we have ever seen before. We need to restore the earmark rule like the Republicans had it last year.

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