Rep. Calvert Rejects Speaker Pelosi's "Take It Or Leave It" Approach to Legislating

Press Release

REP. CALVERT REJECTS SPEAKER PELOSI'S "TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT" APPROACH TO LEGISLATING

Speaker Pelosi Sets Up Omnibus Public Land Management for Failure

Today, Rep. Calvert rebuked Speaker Pelosi for bringing S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, to the House Floor under Suspension of the Rules, which does not allow for amendments. The bill failed 282 to 144 under Suspension of the Rules, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass.

"Although I supported certain provisions of the bill, in particular the six pages that authorized two water projects in my congressional district, I find it undemocratic that Speaker Pelosi brought it up under the suspension calendar which did not allow a Republican alternative or any Republican or Democratic amendment to the bill," said Rep. Calvert. "I could not in good conscience vote for a bill that is so heavily weighed down by unnecessary waste."

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act, which was 1,248 pages, would authorize more than $10 billion in new spending, including an increase in mandatory government spending by $915 million. The bill is comprised of 172 individual bills, 75 of which were never considered in the House.

The bill was considered by the House under the Suspension of the Rules, meaning that all Members of Congress were prohibited from offering amendments to the bill. Traditionally, the House considers non-controversial bills under the Suspension of the Rules, such as bills naming post offices or resolutions commending sports teams for winning a national championship.

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