[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 11 (Friday, January 19, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H772-H773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)

[[Page H773]]

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I asked to speak because the whip yielded 
back his time.
  I understand the gentleman's contention. Very frankly, we did our 
business in a timely fashion and got a lot done these last 2 weeks, in 
our opinion. We may differ on that. We got, we think, a lot done in a 
bipartisan fashion, really, in terms of the votes.
  I will tell you, the Foreign Affairs Committee had a hearing today; 
it is going on now. Lee Hamilton is testifying on Iraq. We believe that 
is timely and important. So that committee is meeting. I just got the 
notice of what committees are meeting.
  I only state that because I believe my friend is correct, that early 
on we don't have as many committee meetings. We believe that having the 
time available for our committees to get work done is going to 
facilitate having meaningful work on the floor, and we hope that we can 
do our meaningful work on the floor in hours where it will provide for 
Members not having to work until 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock at night, 
even though it may save them 2 or 3 hours on a Friday. But we are going 
to work with you. We have worked together; we are going to continue to 
work together. We will have differences.
  I am going to work with Mr. Boehner, the leader, to accommodate our 
Members. You are my friend. The fact that we are in session or not in 
session is not an indication of whether Members are working. That 
representation was never made, nor was it ever intended to be made. It 
is a misrepresentation, certainly in my view, that that is any 
contention of mine or implication that ought to be drawn. I think the 
gentleman agrees with that. Members work hard whether we are in session 
or not in session.

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