Waiving Requirement of Clause 6(a) of Rule XIII With Respect to Consideration of Certain Resolutions

WAIVING REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 6(a) OF RULE XIII WITH RESPECT TO CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS -- (House of Representatives - September 30, 2004)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 807 and ask for its immediate consideration.

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the transportation bill is one of the most strongly supported, popular, and bipartisan measures to be considered in the House. The programs authorized in this bill touch every American and affect their lives every single day. There are probably only a handful of Members who do not want to see the transportation bill reauthorized for another 6 years.

But it appears that the Republican leadership and the administration are stonewalling this process by their refusal to work in good faith with the other body. Let us look at the facts. Republicans are in charge of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. But, instead of providing real leadership, the Republican leadership and the President have let the conferees dangle in the wind while we continue to pass short-term extension after short-term extension of these important programs.

By my count, Mr. Speaker, this is the sixth temporary extension to be considered and sent to the President. Do not get me wrong. I strongly support these programs. I understand that the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) and others are doing their best given the draconian allocation set by the Republican leadership. I support these extensions because we cannot afford to let these programs expire. But it is important to know that the Republican leadership and the Bush administration have not done all they can to ensure that the full reauthorization is completed and signed before the programs expire.

Mr. Speaker, the President is the leader of his party. Yet the President has shown a lack of leadership on this issue. The transportation bill will provide every American with roads and bridges that they need. It will provide economic stimulus across the country with the various projects that are written into it. Most importantly, this bill will create new jobs at a time when the new jobs are desperately needed. But instead of looking out for the American public, the President and the Republican leadership in this body have held onto their ideology to the detriment of this country.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say again that I support this extension. While I am concerned anytime the Republican leadership proposes a martial law rule, I also want to express my support for this particular rule that will allow us to consider this sixth extension and send it to the President before these programs expire. But I am disappointed and discouraged by the way the President and the Republican leadership have mismanaged this process, and I hope we can do better next year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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