[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 111 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. KAREN SHEPHERD

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 10, 1994

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4822) to 
     make certain laws applicable to the legislative branch of the 
     Federal Government:

  Ms. SHEPHERD. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in proud support of the 
Congressional Accountability Act. This far-reaching legislation is 
overdue and warrants our enthusiastic support.
  Many of the new Members of Congress came to this institution after 
campaigning on platforms that promised reform. Mr. Chairman, today the 
House is about to deliver on those promises.
  Ending congressional exemptions from current labor, safety, and civil 
rights legislation is an important and substantive change in current 
practice. By bringing the Congress into compliance with the same laws 
that impact on the private sector and the executive branch, we will be 
taking an important step in regaining the faith of the American 
electorate. Feeling the full impact of each piece of legislation is 
also certain to result in the Congress being more sensitive to the 
concerns of the private sector. We will all be better legislators 
because of this effort.
  Let me also say that this legislation has another lesson for us. When 
the freshmen Democrats and Republicans put together their respective 
reform recommendations last year, we were pleased to find several areas 
of agreement. One of the proposals that garnered our wholehearted 
support is the Congressional Accountability Act. For nearly 18 months 
Eric Fingerhut, Tillie Fowler, Peter Torkildsen and I--along with other 
freshmen Members--have worked on a bipartisan basis to support this 
congressional compliance legislation.
  Chris Shays and Dick Swett have provided a model for those of us who 
want to work together on a bipartisan basis. Our collaborative effort 
has made it possible to craft a bill which preserves the Constitution's 
mandate for the separation of powers and, at the same time, requires 
Congress to obey the same laws it passes for the rest of the country. 
This bill represents significant congressional reform. I urge this 
House to vote for its passage.

                          ____________________