Congressman WALSH: Stick to five minutes or we’ll kick you out

Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) delivered a stern warning to lawmakers at a Small Business subcommittee hearing last week: Stick to your allocated five minutes, or you will be asked to leave the room.

Well, kind of.

Walsh was actually flashing some bold humor, especially for a freshman, when he said, “I’d like to take a moment to explain the timing lights for you. You’ll each have five minutes to deliver your testimony. The light will start out as green. When you have one minute remaining, the light will turn yellow. Finally, it will turn red at the end of your five minutes.

“If you go over your five minutes, someone will come in and escort you out of the room.” 

The subcommittee chairman added, “I’m just kidding,” triggering much-needed laughter during the hearing on small-business lending.

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