[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H541-H542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0950
                      CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 4, 1995, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Ehlers] is 
recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I have given some thought to the events of 
the past week, the discussions and the debates. Through it all I am 
reminded of something I learned from my father years ago, and, that is, 
that great minds debate issues, average minds discuss events, and small 
minds talk about other people.
  I have been dismayed that of all the many issues facing this 
Congress, particularly as we debate the Contract With America, that we 
find the other side, the minority party, concentrating on personal 
attacks on a Member of the Republican side.
  Perhaps there is some basis for that, although I do not believe so. 
But the point I am making is, we have a number of major issues facing 
the Congress in the first 100 days and beyond. Furthermore, I believe 
the philosophy underlying the Contract With America deserves discussion 
and debate on behalf of the American people.
  I believe it is important for us to engage in a dialog with the 
American people and discuss these issues with them, both Republicans 
and Democrats. I find it personally dismaying that so much emphasis 
during the 1-minute speeches and the 5-minute speeches has been 
concentrated on one particular person and one particular aspect of what 
that person has done.
  I do not believe that this is behavior befitting the institution of 
the Congress. I believe that we have better things to do, we have more 
important things to do, and we have more important issues to discuss.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join in debating 
the issues that face this country, and the issues that are being 
presented to us daily on the floor.
  There are certain things we can discuss during these 1-minute and 5-
minute speeches which cannot or do not lend themselves very well to 
debate during the specific bills which are brought before the body. I 
think that we should take the opportunity during these 1-minute and 5-
minute discussions to in fact debate the philosophy underlying this. I 
would also like to
 see more discussion about foreign relations 
[[Page H542]] during these periods of time. We face very difficult 
issues and choices, particularly as it relates to the Russian 
involvement in Chechnya, the battle going on in Bosnia, the devaluation 
of the Mexican peso and the implications for us.
  We do not need more rancorous debate about individuals and persons 
and their behavior. We need positive, constructive debate about the 
issues facing this Nation and what we as a Congress are going to 
propose to do about those problems.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. EHLERS. Just one moment, please.
  Finally, I am reminded of the comments of Mr. Rodney King, whom I did 
not think I would ever quote on the floor of Congress, but give his 
famous statement, ``Can't we all just get along?''
  Can't we all just get along for the good of the American people and 
for the purpose of debate in this body?
  I would be pleased to yield the remainder of my time to the 
gentlewoman from Colorado [Mrs. Schroeder].
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's speech because I think 
those of us on this side want to make sure the body moves forward, too. 
We are sent here to do the Nation's business. But I hope the gentleman 
read yesterday's Newsweek story because I think that is why some of us 
on this side are so concerned. I hope that the gentleman reads that 
because I think if he reads that, he too will join us in saying there 
are some serious questions here that need to be asked and need to be 
dealt with.
  I would hope we could get these questions about the book deal outside 
of this arena, to independent counsel, or get it out of here so we 
could move on to those topics. But in the Newsweek yesterday, they came 
out and showed that this is not the first incident where Mr. Murdoch 
has been called into question. That in the last 10 years, there have 
been at least 6 suspicious book deals when he needed to get special 
privileges in other legislative bodies for his publishing empire. I 
think that raises some very serious questions that we should ask.
  The gentleman is right, we should not debate them here, but should we 
not get them outside this body to an independent counsel somewhere to 
get this solved and raise the cloud?
  I yield back to the gentleman. Would you not agree on that?
  Mr. EHLERS. As I understand it, you are suggesting an investigation 
of Mr. Murdoch. But that is not what I have heard the discussion about 
during the past week.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. If I may reclaim my time, what I am asking is that we 
have an investigation of the Speaker's book deal with Mr. Murdoch.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. LINDER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I appreciate your 
point. I do not take my advice on politics from----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's 5 minutes has expired.
  Mr. LINDER. There should be an investigation of Mr. Murdoch. I 
appreciate your point.


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