Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, in view of the inequities that exist in bringing this bill to the floor, I respectfully appeal the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California said yesterday that he wanted an equality in the rule that was before this House. He said that he would not be supporting anything that would not allow us to be heard, and that he would also not ask for points of order to be waived on the majority's bill. It seems to me that if what they are saying is true, that this is supposed to be a jobs bill, how can anyone in this country, anyone in this Congress, say that giving some assistance to the millions of people that have lost their jobs during this administration, that giving some relief, giving some unemployment compensation, is out of order and not relevant? How can we say that the working people who do not see any of the benefits of this tax cut, when we are talking about giving them benefits, giving them the opportunity to buy, to purchase, and to stimulate the economy, how can we say that it is not relevant? How can we say that Medicaid and giving assistance to our States that are in economic dire need, what kind of rule could they come up with, call it fair, call it equitable, and not give us a chance to express ourselves? I suggest to my colleagues that what we are trying to do is to have an alternative. That is not the Republican way, that is not the Democratic way, that is the American way, that we be allowed to be heard. Mr. Speaker, we made an appeal to the Committee on Rules. The chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means admitted this morning that he asked to have the same type of treatment for us as they were asking for themselves. True, he said, he was not going to ask for a waiver of the rules; but that is not the case. Somehow, between a nod and a blink, he got a waiver of the rules. We picked out five violations of the budget; and yet they say that they got a waiver of the rules that we control ourselves by. So the only thing I am saying is this: they have got the votes. They have held this bill until they can get the votes. They have kept every Republican's foot to the fire in order to give tax relief for the richest people in the United States of America. We are not asking to win; we are merely asking to be heard. We are asking for the opportunity, using the same rules that they have had for themselves, for ourselves. Mr. Speaker, I hope that you allow this substitute to be heard, to be argued, and to be voted on.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm), a voice that is heard in the Congress and throughout the United States. (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The gentleman from Ohio had the audacity to say what is our idea after they stayed up all night to deny us the opportunity to express our ideas. I am telling my colleagues, in New York they call that hutzpah. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters). (Ms. WATERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, could I get some understanding of the time that is remaining?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), an outstanding member of Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the conscience of the Congress and a civil rights leader, since the Republicans object to the discussion.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask the chairman of the committee whether he would join with me since he was so cooperative yesterday in the Committee on Rules.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent, in view of the overwhelming interest in America and in the House on this bill, that the amount of time for debate be extended an additional hour.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kleczka), an outstanding member of the committee and the Congress.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means and an outstanding Member of the House.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), a national leader in his own right, a leader in the Congress, and the chairman of the Hispanic Caucus. (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means and an outstanding Member of the Congress.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I want to thank the gentleman from California for whatever he said. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Trade. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, since so few Republicans want to speak in support of the bill, whether he would consider yielding some time to the Democrats.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, will this apply to other violations that the minority is not even aware of now?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the staff has given me four violations of the Budget Act, section 401, section 311, and other violations of the House rules. Am I to assume that the initial ruling of the Chair on the waiving of points of order would apply to all of the violations that Republicans have as it relates to the rules of the House?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, this is a day that I do not think our country will ever forget. It is a day of infamy. It is a day that the Republican majority has decided that it is their way or the highway. If they have a bill that they are so proud of, why is it that they believe that the Democrats should not be able to at least reveal what we want to do? Here we are on the brink in history where we are bringing democracy and freedom to Iraq; but at the same time, we are diminishing it here in the House of Representatives. This bill that is coming up, the secret Bush tax plan that even the President did not know about, came to the Committee on Ways and Means on Tuesday, we voted for it on Friday and never given an opportunity to bring our bill to the floor. I really believe that it should be shameful that in this House of Representatives that we ever forget what they are doing to the American people. Some people have just said that if you are not rich, you are not entitled to a tax cut. If you are the working poor, if you are unemployed, you are not entitled to any relief. We truly believe in this House, the people's House, what the majority is doing, they are not doing it to the Democrats who are the minority, they are not just doing this to the House of Representatives and the Congress; they are doing it to America, because they are afraid to allow a different point of view to be heard. I hope we never, never, never forget this day. I hope when the Democrats get the majority, that they never, never, never do what the Republicans are doing today. They should be ashamed of themselves for what they are doing to the legislative process, but more important than anything else, what they are doing to the good people of the United States of America.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the victors of the Kentucky Derby. On Saturday, May 3, the veteran jockey Jose Santos road the gelding Funny Cide in the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby at the Louisville, Kentucky racetrack. Owned by Sakatoga Stable in Sackets Harbor, New York and trained by Barclay Tagg, Funny Cide is the first New York bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the first gelding to win the Derby since 1929. This is not only a victory for the owners, trainer, and rider of Funny Cide, but the entire State of New York and I wish them continued success.