Pete Sessions

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I'm here to tell you that the opportunity for the Rules Committee to put the bill on the floor, as we did several weeks ago, resulted in 172 Democrats voting against the bill, which meant that it did not make it out of the House, and that's why we're here today. We are here today because the bill did not pass. My party and our friends, the Democrats, did not supply enough votes to make sure that we move forward. And my party is here trying to make sure that we get a second shot at passing the farm bill, and that's what we intend to do. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, as has previously been stated, it is the intent of the Republican leadership and this majority party to have a bill that will be available and ready that can pass on what might be considered the SNAP portions of this farm bill. What we're trying to do today is to pass this bill on the farm portions. And it is a fair opportunity to take up the bill exactly as we were several weeks ago on debate, on the rule, and on the things which passed this House for the will of the House to have its say. That is what we're attempting to do today. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. I would not yield for that purpose.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, the opportunity, once again, as I stated at the very top of this rule that we began several hours ago, is that the Republican leadership and the Republican membership have great respect for men and women who have fallen on hard times. We have great respect for the millions of people who have lost their jobs and continue to lose their jobs--full-time jobs that have gone to part-time jobs. We recognize that our country is facing very difficult times and more difficult each and every day. It is our hope through this bill, and a following opportunity, to make sure that the entire piece parts of the will of this body go directly to the conference and meet with the Senate. That is what we are attempting to do today. For Members to ensure that we get to a conference with a complete part of this bill, that is why we are here today and will be here in the immediate future. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, last night we had the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Mr. Lucas, who approached the committee and said he would like for us to consider this bill on farm bill portions. He indicated that he would follow up and had every intent to follow up with a companion part, the separation of these, which would be the SNAP portions. Today, we are attempting to offer the bill on the farm policy, and we are doing that. We intend to be able to put these items together and move them forward. I have great confidence, not only in Mr. Lucas, but also in every Member of this body who understands firsthand that women and children and those who have fallen on hard times do need the SNAP program. We intend to make sure that that is properly taken care of. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Stutzman).

Mr. SESSIONS. All time yielded is for the purpose of debate only, and I will not yield for that purpose.

Mr. SESSIONS. I do not know that the gentleman has been yielded that time by his manager.

Mr. SESSIONS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Stutzman), who is a farmer, very clearly, I believe, spoke about the intent of this bill, and that is that we are going to talk about farm policy. There are revisions and changes that update not only Federal farm policy, but they are done on a bipartisan basis. The gentlemen on both sides of the aisle--the ranking member and the chairman of the Agriculture Committee--have worked very closely on this, and I believe that what is on the floor today offers an opportunity to debate that and to see if we can pass it. That's what we are trying to do. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. I am not yielding for that purpose.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I believe it's important for us to understand what's in the bill, and I'd like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), the chairman of the Agriculture Committee.

Mr. SESSIONS. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. SESSIONS. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. I have no additional speakers except myself when I close.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remaining time. I believe that the gentleman from Oklahoma represents not just the conscience of my party, but also of the Members of the House of Representatives. I think he well and faithfully is attempting to do his job; and it is this body today that will have an opportunity, after hearing the gentleman from Oklahoma speak about not just his desire, but his leadership on behalf of the Agriculture Committee. As he approached the Rules Committee last night, he spoke very clearly and eloquently and said it is his desire to have the farm bill farm bill, as he calls it, to be able to be before this body today where we can pass good and wise farm bill policy. He also stated, before not only all the Members, but also in testimony that he presented to the committee, that it is his intent to follow up today's bill, farm bill farm bill, with a nutrition program bill that he would bring to the Rules Committee for this House to consider. This man has worked on a bipartisan basis and, I believe, should have the admiration and respect of this body. But more importantly, the gentleman placed his word of what he's trying to do before this body. I think he is a sincere and honest man. It is my intent, as the chairman of the Rules Committee, as it was last night, to say to this body today, this bill, farm bill farm bill, that is before you does appropriate and good things for farmers and for people who make a living and provide this country with the agriculture and products it needs. We are trying to make sure that that is faithfully and well done today. I believe the gentleman from Oklahoma deserves the respect of this body, and I would ask for each and every one of us to please vote ``yes'' on this rule and the underlying legislation.

Mr. SESSIONS. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, during consideration of H.R. 1613 and H.R. 2231 pursuant to House Resolution 274, amendment numbered 1 printed in part A of House Report 113-131 and amendments numbered 5 and 10 printed in part B of that report be modified by the form I have placed at the desk.

Mr. SESSIONS. If the gentleman will yield under his reservation, with the adoption of this modification of the explanation of waivers, I would say to him that what is contained in the report is going to be accurate. What was printed the other day as the final report from the Rules Committee before it came to the floor was, in fact, not accurate. The gentleman knows and does understand that there were several modifications that were made as a result of the final approval of the Rules Committee print. Then we discovered there were some typos and some inaccurate figures that were presented. The gentleman knows that there have been previous times when the gentleman's amendment from Louisiana has been offered in reports and has been voted on and we made that consistent. I appreciate the gentleman asking me.

Mr. SESSIONS. Once again, yielding to the gentleman's question, I appreciate the gentleman not only coming to the floor, but making sure that we work together on an understanding of what the final package will look like. I will state once again, and I appreciate the gentleman's clarification, what the Rules Committee did is made an agreement of what would be made in order and there was a mistake therein. We are simply, Mr. Speaker, asking for unanimous consent on a bipartisan basis, we believe with the gentleman who will consent, to modify the report to where it accurately denotes the amendments that were made in order and any wording, including grammatical misspellings. That's what we're trying to do here.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 271 and ask for its immediate consideration.