Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to Make Corrections in the Engrossment of H.R. 6201
Floor Speech
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Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the right to object.
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Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, we had rushed this bill to the floor--I would say rush. It had been an all-day thing Thursday and and all-day event Friday, and most of us were not part of the negotiations. We kept getting different versions of the bill that was going to be coming to the floor, and about 9 o'clock I got the latest rendition and had read that. I made a lot of notes and tags and things I was concerned about, and then I thought that was what we were going to be voting on that night; but then there was a new version filed immediately before midnight, and we voted about 12:30.
So I had real concerns about some of the wordings, some of the problems. Of course, as President Obama said, elections have consequences; the majority is going to get a whole lot more of what they want in a bill than the minority. I totally understand that, but there were some concerns about matters.
I am very concerned about small businesses. It had been changed from other laws, exempting those with over 50 or more--like in ObamaCare-- employees. Yet in this one, it changed exempting under 500 to under 50--I'm sorry--applying to everybody under 500. That included all those under 50.
A big concern is that it was going to overwhelm some of our smallest businesses. We know a majority of Americans work for small businesses. They create more job opportunities. So this was a big deal. But though I didn't support the bill, and I still have big concerns, I am very grateful for the efforts of the majority, the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, and staff members of our minority leader who have continued to negotiate and work to try to get some of these problems figured out.
So there is no question in my mind at this point that what are being called technical corrections make the bill better than it was when it got passed in the wee hours Saturday morning. So because of that, Madam Speaker, I withdraw my objection to the technical corrections so there may be unanimous consent now that I withdraw my objection.
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