[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 39 (Wednesday, April 13, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  VOTE DOWN THE RULE ON THE CRIME BILL

  (Mr. SOLOMON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, the previous speaker is a member of the 
Committee on Rules, and had he been present yesterday, he would know 
that the rule coming before this body today is a crime in itself 
because it denies 46 Democrats on that side of the aisle, 45 
Republicans on this side of the aisle the right to carry out their 
constitutional obligation to represent their people back home.
  They are being denied the right to offer amendments. Members like 
myself are being denied the right to offer an amendment that would 
reinstate in this bill mandatory minimum sentencing for convicted drug 
felons who cart in tons of cocaine and give it to our children. This 
bill takes out that minimum sentencing. We are not going to have the 
right to even debate that and vote on it.
  The President of the United States stood on the Capitol steps 
yesterday and said my amendment is a frivolous amendment? Well, I 
suppose, coming from him you could understand that.
  This rule predetermines how this bill is going to come out before we 
even vote on it. It is going to wipe out the death penalty.
  We ought to vote down this rule. Let us go back upstairs and let 
every Member of this body participate in the legislative process. You 
owe it to your constituents.

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