Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 2112, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012
Floor Speech
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r. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the gentleman for those words.
He is exactly right. He and I started out this year both new to our jobs on the committee; but determined, we agreed with each other and committed to each other that we would work together to try to restore the regular order that used to prevail on these appropriations bills, where we had heated debate but collegial debate, realizing that we have to finally come to some agreement on these bills that keep the government going. We don't have the luxury of failing. The gentleman has been a great partner in this work all year long, and I look forward to the rest of the work.
Now, on this year's bills, the 2012 bills that we're working on now, it is my hope and ambition--I know you share this with me--that we finish these bills before the end of this calendar year.
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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. That would take some doing.
Nevertheless, I agree with you. I'm tickled to death to see the Senate is finally acting. They only passed one bill, up until 2 days ago, of the 12. We've passed six through the House, and have sent them over there without a response until now.
I want to finish the 2012 bills right away so that we can begin work in January on the 2013 bills and so that we'll have plenty of time to do them one by one, which is the regular order and what we all want to see happen. I know that's my goal and ambition, and I know the gentleman shares that.
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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. We were sidelined a good part of this year from our regular business with H.R. 1. We inherited a House that had not passed an appropriations bill for fiscal '11, so we spent the first 5 months or so of the year trying to pass a bill to fund that current year, fiscal '11.
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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Exactly.
Nevertheless, it held us up for 5 months and kept us from doing our chores for fiscal '12. Then came along the debt ceiling increase debate, which took weeks and sucked all of the air out of everything else, so we were prevented on the committee from doing our regular chores.
As the gentleman says, we want to finish these bills for fiscal '12 so that finally, in fiscal '13, we can have a real clean year, taking each bill one by one.
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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. By the way, in closing, we're going to conference with the Senate on these three bills this afternoon--as a matter of fact, at 5 o'clock. That's the first time that there has been a House-Senate appropriations conference in years. So, between us and the Senate, we are achieving something almost historic here, and that is going to conference with the Senate, which used to be a routine thing, and we hope to restore that idea.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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