CONGRESS, AN INCLUSIVE BODY -- (House of Representatives - September 18, 2008)
Mr. WITTMAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, we have a number of challenges in this country. We see the energy challenge we have before us. We've heard here in recent days of all of the challenges in our financial markets. I would suggest that we need to make sure that we use this opportunity to be inclusive when we make decisions.
Just the other day when an energy bill passed this body, there was a great opportunity there to make sure that we had the best ideas coming forward, to make sure that we worked on things in a bipartisan manner, to make sure we did what was in the best interest of this country. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Unfortunately, those best ideas didn't all make it to the table, and that's not what this country is built on.
This country is built on making sure that this body makes decisions in an inclusive way, and I hope the Speaker will hold true to her words that she said earlier, that this was going to be the most inclusive body in the history of this body. You know, I'm concerned when that doesn't happen. It leaves out those great ideas. It leaves out segments of America who want their voices heard here to make sure that we do things in a fair and equitable way.
Madam Speaker, I call on you to make sure that we do have an inclusive process in this body.