[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 12, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H2819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                 ASK QUESTIONS OR STUPID THINGS HAPPEN

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, since April 1, 42 days, the House has been 
in session 12 of those 42 days; and in that period of time, we have 
lost 171 of our fellow citizens, bringing the total to 772.
  While that was happening, what has Congress done? We have named eight 
post offices, recognized the Garden Club of America, recognized the 
importance of music education, and authorized the use of the Capitol 
grounds for the Soap Box Derby. That is what Congress has done in the 
last 42 days, 12 days working; that is what we have done while we have 
lost loved ones in this country.
  Our constituents are asking the whys and the hows of this war. They 
want us to get the answers. We have a constitutional responsibility, 
the checks and balances, to ask those questions. It is imperative that 
we do that.
  President Kennedy once said, ``To govern is to choose.'' We can name 
post offices, or we can ask the hard questions about the direction of 
our Nation. We may even be able to do both.

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