Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009

ENHANCING SMALL BUSINESS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACT OF 2009 -- (House of Representatives - July 08, 2009)

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Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, we offer this motion to recommit because I think everyone in this body realizes that we have gone far astray from regular order, and we know the damage that does to this Institution. We have done it in the name of expediency, as if we have to be done by some specific date on some arbitrary schedule that has been scratched out on some piece of paper.

We all know that we have work to do. We weren't here Monday. We could have worked. We could have done appropriation bills. But instead, what we have done is cut Members out not being able to offer amendments on the floor, not only minority Members but majority Members too.

We all know that we have gotten far away from regular order and that we need to return to regular order where Members have the right and the ability to represent their constituents that elected them here. That means offering amendments to appropriation bills. Our history has been that appropriation bills come to the floor under an open rule so that Members have the right to offer amendments.

Is it frustrating? Yes. Does it take a lot of time? Yes. Are there some amendments that we wish wouldn't be offered? Sure. But that is our job. Our job is to come here and debate issues, not expediency, trying to get them done at a specific time. By doing that, what we do is cut off Members' ability to offer amendments and represent their constituencies.

I believe that Mr. Obey was absolutely correct on October 6, 2000, when he said, We have gotten so far from regular order that I fear that if this continues, the House will not have the capacity to return to the precedents and procedures of the House that have given true meaning to the term ``representative democracy.'' The reason we have stuck to regular order as long as we have in this Institution is to protect the rights of every Member to participate, minority Members and majority Members. And when we lose those rights, we lose the right to call this the greatest deliberative body left in the world.

He is absolutely right, and we need to adopt this as a sense of Congress that we need to return to regular order so that Members can represent their constituents and they can offer amendments. It will take long, yes, but people will have the opportunity to represent their constituents. And everyone here on both sides of the aisle knows in their heart this is what we need to do if we are going to be called a ``representative democracy'' instead of trying to get it done because we have an August recess coming up.

I am willing to stay and work. I am willing to stay on the weekends and work if that is necessary to get our work done. And you should be, too. That is what we are getting paid for, not to cut Members off.

So I would urge you to adopt this motion to recommit so that we can return to regular order and so that Members have the right and the ability to represent their constituents on this floor.

I fear, as I said the other day, I truly fear that you know not the damage that you do to this Institution with the rules that are closing off debate on the appropriations process. We need to return to regular order and open debate and let Members offer their amendments and represent their constituents in the manner for which they were elected.

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