Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. FOXX. Then in preparing the correction for that, inadvertently two numbers were reversed in the number for the resolution.

I don't have a Latin quote from Murphy's law, but I would say that it appears as though, in the attempt to make one correction, unfortunately, another mistake was made. It was purely clerical errors, no nefarious intent.

We would like to move on in as expeditious a fashion as we possibly can because we know we and our colleagues are looking forward to a weekend of work at home, and we would like to move along and get this accomplished so we can get to the important work, the underlying bill.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, we are all human beings. How ironic it is that our colleagues were here just a few minutes ago on the floor discussing the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. That was as great an example of what great human beings and how bipartisan we can be in this Chamber. It's as great a bipartisan effort as I've seen in a long time. We know what to do as caring human beings, what to say in such situations. It's such a great example of how this body can operate. That group was given 40 minutes to talk about a great tragedy.

Now we're engaging in a gotcha situation over an insignificant issue for which we take the responsibility. I'm frankly embarrassed that the tenor of the conversation is going in this direction after the wonderful bipartisan effort we just saw on this floor. A mistake was made, and then in attempting to correct the mistake, an extraordinarily minor other mistake was made.

I would appeal to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to say: We are human beings. We know how to forgive mistakes. Neither of these mistakes was made by a Member. We're quite willing to overlook mistakes like this in the past. I think in the spirit of comity, in the spirit that was established on this floor this morning, we should move on, get to the work that the American people sent us here for, and understand, as was quoted this morning by one of our colleagues, ``our time is very precious.'' Don't waste it by playing gotcha games. Think about what we discussed earlier.

Mr. Polis and I will debate this rule, and we'll do it in a spirit of comity. That's the way I think we should be operating. Yes, we made a mistake. Yes, a second mistake was made. We acknowledge that. We accept it. Now we'd like to get on to the people's work.

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Ms. FOXX. To quote Rules Committee Chairman Dreier, ``We are here playing out the 21st century version of the great Shakespearean play `Much Ado About Nothing.'''

House Resolution 741 provides for the adoption of the amendment referred to in the resolution which would correct the technical error in H.R. 4078, the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act.

It's very unfortunate that I must present this rule to the House today. The reason we are here is due to a typographical error. This innocent mistake could have been quickly and easily corrected through a unanimous consent agreement, but, tragically, the Democrat minority could not resist this opportunity to attempt to score political points.

Not a day goes by that I don't hear from constituents disheartened by the rigid partisanship emanating from Washington, D.C. This week, we had an opportunity to demonstrate the kind of cooperation the American people are craving without in any way compromising our principles. It's a shame that the Democrats missed this opportunity, choosing, instead, to force this exercise in futility, tying up this House unnecessarily.

There's not much more that needs to be said on this issue at this point, Mr. Speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I just have to point out to my colleague across the aisle that he has added a whole act to this comedy of errors, a whole act.

I know that my colleague in his orientation must have learned the difference between bills and resolutions. Even though our staff attempted to help him and his staff understand this and save an embarrassment, we are not dealing with a House bill; we're dealing with House Resolution 783, which my colleague said does not exist. It is a resolution, House resolution. That is different, Mr. Speaker, from a House bill, which is an H.R., has an H.R. number. So, unfortunately, again my colleague has compounded the situation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take my colleague's offer--I hope he will fulfill his comment that they won't object to our getting this matter straight and moving on this morning so that we can get to the other business of the House. And with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

We're faced here today with trying to correct a couple of very minor errors that have occurred. But my colleague wants us to violate the Constitution by bringing forth a bill from the Senate which the Constitution clearly says is the responsibility of the House, and legislation related to taxes must begin in the House, so I find it a little unsettling that our colleagues have urged us to take up a bill that they know would violate the Constitution. All we're dealing with here are, again, some very minor clerical errors.

Mistakes happen. As silly and as embarrassing they are, but adults take responsibility for their mistakes, and that's what we're doing here. At the end of the day, we'll still pass a bill to cut down on a bloated bureaucracy and to allow small businesses to flourish.

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