Nancy Pelosi

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. That is agreeable to the minority, Mr. Leader. So that would mean that there would be no more votes tonight and we would take up the Waxman amendment tomorrow and vote on it tomorrow?

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, now in your capacity as leader, I was seeking a clarification. Certainly we want to move this bill expeditiously, knowing its importance to the American people, even at the expense of starting the district break a few hours later, and I know you share that concern. But what I heard you say, I had a concern about, and I am seeking clarification. I was hoping that we could take up the Oberstar and Young amendments tonight, roll the votes for them to tomorrow, take up the Waxman amendment tomorrow and vote on it tomorrow, and then proceed tonight with 52 down to Shays/Watson, rolling the votes until tomorrow.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the distinguished leader.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I have a question for the leader. Mr. Leader, is it my understanding that the Waxman amendment, No. 94, which you just sought unanimous consent to roll until tomorrow with the debate and the vote, would be taken up as the first amendment tomorrow when we come into the House?

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the distinguished leader. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from California knows the very high regard in which I hold him and it is with great reluctance that I oppose his amendment. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) who has earned a great reputation for working closely with her community on this very issue.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I commend the gentlewoman for her leadership on this important issue. As the chairman knows, on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where we both serve, we have a great need for ``needs and leads.'' Certainly, the Federal Government and the intelligence community and the Department of Homeland Security benefits from leads that it receives from businesses coming forward with new entrepreneurial ideas that we have not even thought of. We also have many needs that we are reaching out to businesses to fill. The Office of Inquiries within the Department of Science and Technology would act as a point of entry, as the gentlewoman suggested. It is an excellent idea to accommodate the system of ``needs and leads,'' and also contributes to maximizing the technological capabilities that exist in our country to make the Department of Homeland Security even more successful in protecting the American people. The gentlewoman from Michigan has done a great service in successfully presenting this amendment. I commend her for it, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the very distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan, (Ms. Kilpatrick), an important member of the Committee on Appropriations. (Ms. KILPATRICK asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend the gentleman for his leadership. This combines two very important issues having to do with the Department of Homeland Security, one of which is the use of science and technology. To the extent that this new Department can maximize the technological capabilities, I believe it will be more successful. And as the distinguished majority leader quoted me as saying earlier in the debate, localities, localities, localities, that is the most important consideration that we should have when we talk about where the threat exists, where the ideas are, and where the need for resources are. Communication with those localities is where we should begin and end the development of protecting the American people. So I commend the gentleman for his leadership, for the entrepreneurial spirit of his suggestion, and I hope the body will accept it. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), a very important member of our Select Committee on Homeland Security, the assistant to the minority leader, and a respected member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the very distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), a respected member of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Government Reform.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), the ranking member on the Committee on Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security and a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) who has been a very active participant in making suggestions for this legislation. (Ms. JACKSON-LEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) who is a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn).

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), the ranking member on the Committee on Science, a committee which has three amendments here tonight, and which passed unanimously and, of course, in bipartisan fashion from that committee.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the very distinguished gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder).

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform. (Mr. WAXMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the vice chair of our Democratic Caucus and a valued member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security. (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)