[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 22, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 DEMOCRATS BEING GAGGED BY REPUBLICANS

  (Mr. VOLKMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, yes, this is the 50th day. But we got a 
long way to go. You know, this Congress will be in session for about 
another year and 10 months, so let us see what happens in that year and 
10 months.
  What has happened in the first 50 days is not very much. When you add 
it up, there has only been one bill that has been passed and become 
law, and that same bill is a bill that we as Democrats passed last year 
and everybody agreed to, and that is the compliance bill.
  Nothing else has become law. The balanced budget amendment? That is 
still sitting over in the Senate. They are going to vote on it next 
week. They do not even know if they are going to pass it or not. 
Nothing else is moving. Nothing else has become law.
  Folks, they say that great things are happening. Well, what have been 
the great things happening? We have been gagged. Many of us have 
amendments to bills. We cannot offer them. They will not let us offer 
them. They have a timetable. They say, ``We have to do it now, right 
now; you cannot offer your amendment. It is going to happen today.''
  I wish more people would watch what happens here today and see how 
Democratic minority Members are gagged by the rules of the majority 
today, tomorrow, Friday, all next week, and all through this 50 days.

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