House Journal: Page 11: Monday, January 10, 2000
work that is the subcommittee and committee process is too often ignored. The
embarrassing result has been legislation that is flawed and misunderstood. Let’s
refocus on the committee process and improve the quality of our work.
Our appropriations process has always been difficult. But all subcommittee
members have become increasingly isolated from the decisionmaking process. There
was a time when subcommittees met and actually debated the items that go into their
budget bills. Of course, the majority party had its priorities and its budget target, but
there was actual decisionmaking by the members on the budget items that weren’t
priorities. The final budget was not predetermined by leadership or the subcommittee
chairs.
The quality of our work product will be vastly improved if the subcommittee
members - who attend the meetings and understand the budget - are allowed to decide
the components of their appropriations bills.
Finally, I believe the members can do a better job during floor debate. This room
was never meant to be a quiet or sedate place. The issues we discuss and the
differences that exist often combine to create great passion, as they should. Our House
Rule 10 has been invoked too often in recent years, many times just to relieve a
member’s discomfort over not knowing the answers to legitimate questions. Any and all
information relating to an issue before us is vital. Attempts to disallow discussion of
past debates and previous actions are inconsistent with the purpose that we are here
for.
At times a member may be uncomfortable, as a colleague points out flaws in a bill
or inconsistencies in a position. But that discomfort is not a reason to limit debate. We
must never tolerate a personal attack in debate, but we must never deny the passion in
a debate that makes our system the envy of the world.
Mr. Speaker, politics as usual may be what is expected from this session. Our
constituents are more cynical than ever before about their government. Last week in
the special election in Cedar Rapids only eleven percent of the registered voters
bothered to participate, not to mention the sizable number of people who were not
eligible to vote because they have never registered.
Let us resist "politics as usual" and demonstrate to Iowans our ability to lead. Mr.
Speaker, Democrats are ready to begin.
COMMITTEE FROM THE SENATE
Senator Johnson from Dallas appeared and notified the House that
the Senate was duly organized and ready to receive any communi-
cation that the House might desire to transmit.
REMARKS BY THE SPEAKER
Speaker Siegrist addressed the House as follows:
© 2000 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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