By David Martosko PUBLISHED: 16:25 EST, 26 April 2013 | UPDATED: 17:49 EST, 26 April 2013 A U.S. congressman who once seriously warned that a U.S. military buildup on the island of Guam could make it 'tip over and capsize' launched into a speech on the House floor on Thursday mocking about funny-voiced clowns and children without helium for their latex and mylar inflatables. 'Imagine, Mr. Speaker, a world without balloons,' Georgia Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson urged. 'How can we make sure that the injustice of there being no helium for comedians to get that high-pitched voice that we all hold near and dear to our hearts.'
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Hank Johnson was angry at Republicans for debating a bill to open the U.S. helium reserves to the world market
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The Georgia Democrat warned in 2010 that Guam could 'tip over and capsize' if too many military families moved there
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Helium is tough to capture but plentiful in natural gas wells
The helium legislation, which the @placeholder passed 394-1 on Friday, will allow the federal government to continue selling off its domestic supplies of helium on the open market.