[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 2 (Thursday, January 5, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CALLING FOR FULL DISCLOSURE ON GOPAC FOR TRUE CONGRESSIONAL OPENNESS

  (Mr. DURBIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the new 104th Congress launched a 
new beginning, a new spirit of openness. In the name of that spirit of 
openness I am calling on Speaker Gingrich to make a full disclosure of 
not only all of the contributors to his multi million-dollar GOPAC, but 
also a full disclosure of the contributors to the Progress and Freedom 
Foundation.
  This foundation enjoys preferential Federal tax treatment. The 
foundation raised $1.6 million in 1993 and 1994 from 95 donors. Over 
$400,000 from this foundation went to pay for the Speaker's college 
courses.
  This morning the Roll Call newspaper, published in Washington, DC, 
has a front page story about contributions made to the Progress and 
Freedom Foundation by a biomedical company which then asked for help 
from the Speaker's office in terms of approval for a new home AIDS test 
with the FDA.
  I think it is time for the Speaker to really fully disclose what is 
behind the Progress and Freedom Foundation and GOPAC. In this new 
spirit of openness the Speaker should open the books on both of these 
organizations. That I think would launch a real new beginning, real new 
openness, and full disclosure.


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