[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20062]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         RUBBER-STAMP CONGRESS

  (Mr. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is an outright shame what the 
Republican majority has done. They have expressed themselves as the 
rubber-stamp Republican majority to the Bush White House.
  As you know, yesterday we took a vote here on this floor as relates 
to going into closed session to talk about the findings of the National 
Intelligence Estimate. I will tell you these are professionals that are 
working in clandestine agencies not only in this country, but 
throughout the world, and it is very, very important that the American 
people understand what is going on in Iraq.
  We can only come to the floor and try to put forth some sort of 
representation on behalf of the American people on the Democratic side.
  Mr. Speaker, the facts are right here. When it came down to voting 
for us to go into closed session to talk about national security, talk 
about the loss of our troops in Iraq, talk about those that are 
wounded, you want to talk about honor.
  The bottom line is that one Republican voted to go into closed 
session to talk about this National Intelligence Estimate; and 215 
Republicans voted against it; 14 didn't even show up to vote.
  The bottom line is that the Democrats are willing to secure this 
country as we were voted and federalized to come up here and to do so. 
So when you walk up to this well here and see this word ``justice,'' 
give the American people some justice so we can go into closed session 
and protect the United States of America and not come to this floor and 
just talk. We are about action.

                          ____________________