OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2638, Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009

Date: Sept. 24, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Budget and Spending


PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2638, CONSOLIDATED SECURITY, DISASTER ASSISTANCE, AND CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2009 -- (House of Representatives - September 24, 2008)

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Mr. WALSH of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Washington for yielding me the time.

I am very disappointed. After the disappointment of moving to minority in the year 2007, I took some solace in the fact that the three highest elected Democratic leaders are all members of the Appropriations Committee, and I thought that they would work the will of the committee within the committee.

I am disappointed that in my last year as a member of the Appropriations Committee this majority has not seen fit to bring one regular spending bill before the House of Representatives.

It is no secret that I do not always agree with the current President on spending levels, but even if I did, he is brought into the process only after we complete our work. He has been a primary consideration throughout this process, and that's why we haven't worked our will.

In short, we gave up a fight without a fight, and that disappoints me, and that should disappoint those we represent.

We gave up without letting the Appropriations Committee work its will, without letting the membership of the House work its will.

The Senate is the Senate. We have no control over what happens or, more likely, what doesn't happen over there, but we do have control over whether or not the House gets its job done, and quite frankly, that did not happen this year.

So here we are, punting on second down.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, I must say that as I reflect on my 20 years here, 16 of those on the Appropriations Committee, 12 of those as a subcommittee Chair on this, I believe, the greatest committee of the House of Representatives, there's been much more satisfaction than disappointment.

As this is probably the last time I will address this body on a pending appropriations bill, I respectfully ask my Chair and the members of the committee to in the future restore regular order and protect the prerogatives of this committee. It is of signal importance to the Congress that the Appropriations Committee perform its will.

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