[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)] [House] [Page H1202] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] THE CR AND THE DIRECTION OF AMERICA (Mr. ELLISON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to talk about the CR in larger context. What's going on? The American people have been watching us debating this stuff for days now late into the night. What is it all about? What it's all about, Mr. Speaker, is which direction will America go in? Will we cut back and scale back vital programs that help Americans do better and move into the middle class? Will we cut back and scale back vitally needed regulations to help protect us, allow us to have clean air and clean water and important other rights? Or, Mr. Speaker, will we have an America where we have labor rights, where we can organize, where we can have adequate regulations that give us the opportunity to a decent standard of life in America? It is a stark choice. A dim view where the vision is a small number of really wealthy people and a vast number of really desperate people, or a large, robust, strong middle class which powers America into the future? What we are fighting about is the soul of this country, the direction of this country. And the Democratic Caucus is standing firmly with the people as we have seen the people of Wisconsin stand up and snatch back their destiny from somebody who would take it from them. So, Mr. Speaker, today focus your attention, the people are rising up around America, and the Democratic Caucus is standing strong right here. ____________________