mr. speaker , i yield myself the balance of my time . 
mr. speaker , there are numerous problems with this bill . 
this bill , as republicans have drafted it , makes the pension crisis worse . 
this bill would cause many employers to freeze or terminate pensions . 
this bill does nothing to protect the struggling american continental , delta , and northwest airline employees and retirees . 
this bill does not stop companies from dumping pension plans in bankruptcy or protect the united airline employees and retirees . 
the bill would freeze and cut worker pension benefits . 
the bill does not ensure fairness between workers and executives . 
i mean , i could go on and on and on . 
the bottom line is that many of us who have been on the side of workers consistently have deep concerns about this bill and what its impact will be on working families . 
we think that this bill should not only be much better , but , in fact , this bill , as it stands , will be harmful to american families . 
and there will be a debate about that , but absent from the debate will be what we want to propose , what others in this house want to propose , what other ideas may be . 
let me just say to my friends on the other side of the aisle that you are not perfect . 
you are not always right . 
in fact , you are usually wrong . 
and when it comes to workers , you are usually wrong , in protecting workers ' rights . 
to allow a bill this important to come to the floor without a single amendment being made in order , to allow this bill to come to the floor and shut us out and gag us is unconscionable . 
for the life of me , i can not understand what the hesitation is by the leadership on that side of the aisle to allow us to be able to deliberate on this bill , to have a give and take , to be able to offer an amendment , to be able to have an up-or-down vote . 
the distinguished chairman of the education committee , when he was before the rules committee last night , said he had no problem with our offering an alternative . 
i commend him for that . 
i mean , that is the way this should be . 
we disagree . 
we have honest disagreements . 
we should be able to work them out in a deliberative way on the house floor . 
but here we are on a bill that impacts millions and millions of americans , a bill that we believe adversely impacts millions of americans , and we are totally shut out of this . 
it is not because of lack of time . 
we have plenty of time today . 
and the immigration bill seems all messed up ; so we even have more time than we thought . 
but the fact of the matter is this important kind of legislation should not come to the floor under a closed process . 
this is outrageous . 
this has become the norm in this house . 
and i would simply say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle , someday the tables are going to turn . 
you are going to be in the minority again , hopefully sooner rather than later . 
i hope nobody over there cries and shouts and complains if a bill comes to the floor under a closed rule . 
defeat this rule . 
