mr. speaker , first , as to the rule , let us be very clear . 
this is democracy denied squared . 
substantively , this imposes restraints on getting lower income people to vote . 
one of the members of the majority , one of the authors of this restruction , the gentleman from florida , talked about acorn . 
in fact , under provisions of the bill which are agreed upon unanimously , what acorn proposed would have disqualified them from getting funds . 
there is agreement that if groups are engaging in partisan activity they should be excluded . 
one thing that the majority forgot to mention , one of the pieces of their amendment to which we object is the piece that says you can only participate in this program if housing is your principal purpose . 
the faith-based initiative , rest in peace . 
apparently , it did not last very long . 
the primary purpose of faith-based organizations is faith . 
it is not housing . 
they would like to do housing . 
it is part of their mission , but it is not their primary purpose . 
that is why not just catholic charities but the conference of catholic bishops of the united states has asked that this be amended , because this provision that only if your primary purpose is housing can you participate denies any faith-based group the right to participate . 
apparently , the fear of low-income people voting outweighs the support for faith-based groups . 
what are the substantive restrictions ? 
we agree that there should be no partisanship . 
there would be a lot of restrictions if my very small , specific amendment were to pass . 
you could do not electioneering . 
you could not do lobbying beyond a very limited amount , but you could get out the vote . 
you know what that means ? 
we had the episcopalians , the methodist , the orthodox jews , all of which do a lot of housing . 
you are the methodists and you run an elderly housing project , under the republican provision , you can not do get-out-the-vote activity if you help build housing . 
so you can not hire a bus to go take the old people to vote . 
you can not have somebody come in and get them to register . 
that is what we are talking about . 
there is an extremism here that is not comprehensively accepted in the history . 
the committee voted on this bill . 
it is contentious as anything i would write , as anybody would write . 
it is a good bill which sets up a world-class regulator . 
much of what has been said on that side i agree with . 
then the republican study committee , the most conservative members of the house who appear to be able to run the house by using their influence with the majority leadership , an influence which does not seem to have changed since the majority leadership changed , they were able to take this bill hostage . 
they tried to kill this whole thing . 
members on their side now say , we are for doing this affordable housing . 
well , then why did they try to kill it ? 
there was an amendment to kill the whole affordable housing fund , not restricted . 
it lost 53 to 17 , and so then they went to the majority leader and said we can not win a fair fight . 
hijack the bill . 
so now it comes to the rules situation . 
here it is . 
yes , we will get the vote on the manager 's amendment . 
the manager 's amendment includes what the gentleman from ohio , the gentleman from louisiana , myself , and the gentleman from pennsylvania all agree to , along with the gentlewoman from california , to give a preference for those areas affected by the hurricane . 
so what the gentleman from texas would have members believe , both gentlemen from texas , it is an open rule on this issue because if you are willing to vote not to give a preference to the hurricane areas , you can also vote to let the catholic church participate in low-income housing . 
they come as a package . 
if you think the catholic church and the episcopal church and the methodist church and other churches ought to be able to participate in this , then you have to vote not to give preference to the hurricane areas . 
that is their idea of a fair rule . 
all i asked for was a chance to agree to everything in the manager 's amendment except for three things : allow faith-based groups to participate . 
let it be one of their primary purposes . 
let them do nonpartisan voter registration and let them do nonpartisan get-out-the-vote . 
we are not given a chance to vote on that . 
i hope members will vote against the manager 's amendment . 
it is a tough vote for members in the hurricane areas because they will be demagogued . 
if the manager 's amendment is defeated , let me announce now , i will then offer a motion to recommit which will be everything in the manager 's amendment except these three things . 
so members over there who have told these low-income groups , as often happens , i do not like what these people have done , i do not want to exclude the catholic church , but my hands are tied , we will untie your hands . 
we will give you a chance to vote on it , but it is still not a fair vote . 
i think it is very clear that there is one reason why the members are not allowed to vote on a specific amendment that says let us take all of the restrictions on the groups , and when people say we do not want the money spent on other things , it has always been clear that the money can only be spent on affordable housing . 
we are talking about whether groups with their own money can do other things . 
people have said the money is fungible . 
well , when we were debating faith-based groups , when we said if you give money for day care , is that going to go to religious activities , we were told , no , they will be segregated . 
i agreed with that . 
so the argument about fungibility , apparently , appears to be itself very fungible . 
mr. speaker , all we are asking for is a chance for an up-or-down vote on three provisions which have never been voted on which were inserted here because the most conservative elements in the republican party , the republican study committee , got the majority leader to make them a condition of the bill coming to the floor . 
i guess if the rest of the republicans want to be held hostage by that group , they will show us by their votes today . 
