Pass this bill! Pass this bill! Pass this bill! Pass this bill! Pass this bill! Pass this bill! Pass this bil! Pass this bill!
This is neither my bill, nor yours, neither a Democratic bill, nor a Republican bill. This is a consensus bill. It's a compromise bill. You have to pass this bill!
Mr. President, democracy doesn't work that way! That's not what compromise is. You don't throw a bill on the table, declare it a compromise bill and tell the Congress to pass it into law.
You send the Congress a bill, and let the legislators read it. Then, the opposition responds with a bill of their own. This bill, too, is read and digested.
Then, everyone gets together to discuss both bills. We find things both parties agree should be included in the draft, and write a new bill, combining the best elements of both proposals. This is consensus. This is how laws have always been made. It's compromise.
You can't just write a bill of your own, call it a compromise bill, and tell the Congress to accept it as is, and vote it into law. That's absurd! It's not a compromise bill, Mr. President - it's not our bill. It's your bill. Lets' take a look, give it fair consideration, and go from there. Together, we'll find our way forward.
