By Jackie Kucinich

Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is criticizing House Democratic leaders for doing what most politicians do best: talking.

Blunt has accused Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) of exploiting a longtime House custom that allows senior lawmakers extra time to speak on the House floor during important debates.

“In recent months … this privilege has been used not for the rarest of circumstances, but with great frequency,” Blunt wrote in a letter sent to Pelosi and Hoyer on Oct. 23. “It is my hope that this rare courtesy is restored to its original intent in accordance with the customs of the House.”

Blunt specifically cited their speeches on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), during which Hoyer and Pelosi clocked nearly 30 minutes between them. The rule governing the debate had stipulated a half-hour for each side of the aisle. Read more…

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