[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              DEMOCRATS NEED TO LEARN TO PLAY BY THE RULES

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                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2003

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have become saddened and 
dismayed at the continued obstructionism practiced by Democrats here in 
Washington and throughout our Nation. In politics, there are winners 
and losers, majority parties and minority parties. In 2002, Americans 
spoke loud and clear whose leadership they most trusted and wanted to 
lead this Nation, as they voted to increase the Republican majority in 
the U.S. House and give control of the U.S. Senate back to Republicans. 
The same is true on the state level, where Republicans continue to hold 
a majority of governorships and state legislatures.
  Yet, since being voted out of power, Democrats seem to be 
experiencing fits of withdrawals, seemingly unable to play by the 
rules. In the U.S. Senate, we see the President's judicial nominees 
have waited over 2 years for a confirmation vote, because of an 
unprecedented Democratic filibuster. Before that, they spent their time 
holding up vital legislation like welfare reform and bans on human 
cloning and partial-birth abortion.
  And now we learn that in Texas, over 50 Texas State House Democrats 
stopped working and have actually fled to Oklahoma to avoid a vote they 
would surely lose. Their reason is that they do not like a Republican 
proposed redistricting plan. If so, they should stay and fight to make 
their case in Austin, Texas, the place the voters elected them to 
serve. Instead, these lawmakers have chosen to cowardly flee a fair 
fight.
  Texans democratically elected a Republican majority to govern the 
state, and Americans have elected a Republican President and Republican 
majorities in the U.S. Congress. Democrats are trying to force a 
minority rule, and it's not right, it's not fair, and it's not the 
American way.

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