Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2828, Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2828, WATER SUPPLY, RELIABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT ACT -- (House of Representatives - July 09, 2004)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 711 and ask for its immediate consideration.

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Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the McGovern amendment and in opposition to the pending motion to support the McGovern amendment.

Let us remind ourselves what the McGovern amendment says. If we defeat the previous question, we will be able to consider this amendment, and all the amendment says is that a record vote by electronic device shall not be held open for the sole purpose of reversing the outcome of a vote. Since the majority party here rigged the vote yesterday, rigged the vote for Medicare in November, they are afraid to vote on this amendment, because they want to have the ability to continue to rig the votes.

Let us understand what this really means. A Republican senior leadership aide is quoted in this morning's Congress Daily as saying, a senior GOP aide said, "It was important to defeat the amendment. It is not normal to hold a vote open, but it is not that unusual either. It happens."

In other words, whenever it is necessary to defeat the amendment or the vote, we will hold the vote open. What does that mean? It means that if you can hold the vote open for as long as necessary to twist arms for days, if necessary, then whoever holds the gavel can never lose the vote. It means it does not matter who the people elect and send here. It does not matter the convictions of people here. All that matters is who holds the gavel. Because if they can keep the vote open forever until the vote goes right, the majority party can never lose the votes. That means there is no democracy in the House.

So what we are discussing now is are we going to have democracy in the House, are we going to have a democratic form of government in this country. Because what the Republicans have done by showing a willingness to hold the vote open for 3 hours last November, for 38 minutes yesterday, for 2 days next week, who knows, is when a vote matters, they will not lose it no matter what the votes, because democracy does not matter.

For that alone, for destroying democracy in the House, for not being ashamed of it, this party ought to hang its head in shame and ought to surrender in November the right to govern this House until it learns how to be a party in a democracy again.