E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 143 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1997 No. 17 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was House to pass meaningful campaign fi- count toward the current contribution called to order by the Speaker pro tem- nance reform. He set July 4 as the limits, and the target of the independ- pore (Mr. MILLER of Florida). deadline. I believe the House can cer- ent expenditure has to raise even more f tainly pass reform legislation by then money to stay competitive. and declare itself independent of the Finally, the cost of the campaigns DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO fundraising tyrant that plagues our themselves have completely gotten out TEMPORE system. of control. Television costs, between The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- We all know that this is not a new production and broadcasting, have fore the House the following commu- issue. It is not an issue that needs to be gone through the roof. The same is nication from the Speaker: studied and spoken and lobbied forever. true for radio. And any aspiring politi- The Members of the House know the cian living in New York, Chicago, or WASHINGTON, DC, the Los Angeles media market knows February 11, 1997. issue of campaign finance reform, and I hereby designate the Honorable DAN MIL- they know it well. There is not one that the costs there alone may be the LER to act as Speaker pro tempore for this credible reason why the Republican sole reason that keeps him or her from day. leadership cannot get finance reform to running. They simply cannot afford it. NEWT GINGRICH, the floor by the President's deadline. The fact that someone should be Speaker of the House of Representatives. In fact, before the Republicans were in scared away from running for office merely because they do not have the f the majority, the House had passed money, I believe, is a tragedy. How campaign finance reform legislation. MORNING HOUR DEBATES many good honest councilmen or small However, it was vetoed by President town mayors or clever businessmen or The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Bush. women were kept from going further in ant to the order of the House of Janu- When campaign finance reform laws public service because they lacked the ary 21, 1997, the Chair will now recog- were first created following the Nixon nize Members from lists submitted by money? How many great Congressmen Watergate scandal, the goal was to get and Senators have left us because they the majority and minority leaders for money out of the system and disclose morning hour debates. The Chair will were just sick of the fundraising chase to the American people exactly where and had enough? How many million- alternate recognition between the par- the money was coming from to finance ties, with each party limited to not to aires will decide to run for Congress Federal campaigns. Over 20 years later, and win not on the strength of their exceed 30 minutes, and each Member there is more money than ever in the except the majority and minority lead- ideas but on the size of the bank ac- system, and it is not being fully dis- counts? Mr. Speaker, if we do not have er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. closed to the American people. campaign finance reform on the floor The Chair recognizes the gentleman To begin with, the explosion of what by July 4, we may just end up a Con- from New Jersey [Mr. PALLONE] for 5 we call soft money has infused more gress of millionaires and not of the minutes. money into campaigns than ever be- people. f fore; nearly $881 million in soft money, Although it is still fairly early in the which is about 73 percent of the in- POLITICAL SYSTEM OVERHAUL session of Congress, there have been crease since 1992. This soft money several good campaign finance reform Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, for too comes from corporate and other bills already introduced in-house. I just long our political system has been in sources specifically barred from cam- wanted to mention some of them. need of an overhaul. Our political cam- paigns by Federal law, and it has There is a bipartisan bill introduced by paigns last too long, they are too nega- seeped into the system over the years the gentleman from Massachusetts tive, and they cost far too much. Each and is now completely out of control. [Mr. MEEHAN] and the gentleman from year this country breaks the record- Our campaign finance laws need to be Connecticut [Mr. SHAYS] which seeks setting campaign spending of the pre- tightened when it comes to the issue of to implement voluntary spending lim- vious year, and the end is never in soft money. its, lower media costs, and eliminate sight. By some estimates over $2.5 bil- Another problem is independent ex- soft money. This bill is the House ver- lion was spent on the 1996 elections. penditures. Various well-funded inter- sion of the Senate McCain-Feingold Mr. Speaker, clearly the system has be- est groups from either side of the polit- bill that President Clinton endorsed. come obscene. ical spectrum will target their political There is also another voluntary spend- Last week President Clinton came to opponents and spend millions to defeat ing limits bill introduced by my col- this Chamber and he challenged this them. However, these millions will not league from California (Mr. PARR]. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H409 H410 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE February 11, 1997 There is even a bill proposing a con- campaign finance reform on track. All Mr. Speaker, I responded the next stitutional amendment to put limits on of us, Democrats and Republicans day by introducing the campaign fi- campaign spending. alike, have a golden opportunity to at nance reform bill, H.R. 600. Now, Mr. Clearly, the membership of this long last correct problems that have Speaker, if you are committed to cam- House is ready to tackle the issue of plagued this system for far too long. paign finance reform, as your hand- campaign finance reform and get a bill Let us not lose it because of stalling shake with the President a year ago passed by July 4, the deadline set by tactics or partisan political games. would lead us to believe, then I would the President. It is my sincere hope, The American people are looking for urge you to take up this call and this Mr. Speaker, that the leadership, the results. Their confidence in our elec- bill and bring it to the House floor. Republican leadership, are ready to tion system depends on it. Mr. Speak- Daily we are greeted with headlines meet the President's challenge because er, the clock is ticking. in newspapers with stories about ques- I think it is clearly one of the most im- f tionable campaign practices. Regularly portant issues facing this Congress this COMMENDING MILLER WILLIAMS we are confronted by our constituents session. asking for sanity in the election proc- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under f ess. the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- Always we are faced with the burden HOUSING HOPE uary 21, 1997, the gentleman from Ar- of our own campaign needs and how to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under kansas [Mr. HUTCHINSON] is recognized meet them in a way that does not de- the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- during morning hour debates for 2 min- stroy the faith in the political process. uary 21, 1997, the gentleman from utes. We need campaign finance reform, and Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. Speaker, Washington [Mr. METCALF] is recog- we need it now. today I rise to commend a distin- nized during morning hour debates for H.R. 600 is one of the bills introduced guished Arkansas writer and teacher, 1 minute. in this House. It embodies comprehen- Miller Williams, who recently com- Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, Housing sive reform, and it meets the principles posed a poem for President Clinton's Hope is an organization founded in 1987 of reform that we can all embrace. by a consortium of churches concerned reinauguration ceremony. Mr. Williams, a professor of lit- First it is fair. Real reform does not about homelessness. From its humble erature at the University of Arkansas favor one party over another or one beginnings 10 years ago, it has now be- in Fayetteville is the author of more candidate over another. come a leader in providing affordable than 20 outstanding books of scholar- Second, it reduces the influence of housing to homeless families in Ever- ship and poetry. I can add little to the special interests. Political action lim- ett, WA, in my district. national chorus of praise his col- its, limits on large donors and the Workingcooperativelywithchurches, leagues, students, and readers have al- elimination of soft money can accom- labor unions, banks, corporations, and ready offered. His peers have recog- plish this. government agencies, Housing Hope nized his talent with such prestigious Third, it must be a level playing has launched a $3.2 million housing de- awards as the American Academy of field. That is, campaigns are made to velopment to provide transitional shel- Arts and Letters' Prix de Rome.