[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 17 (Friday, January 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENACT LOBBYING REFORM
(Mr. KLINK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KLINK. Mr. Speaker, you know, the President was right when he
addressed us on Tuesday night: Congress cannot be for sale. We cannot
have the appearance that Members of Congress are for sale.
Imagine, if you would, if we keep going the direction we are, Members
of Congress looking like race car drivers with various parts of our
anatomy adorned with the corporate logos of those companies who come
here to lobby; your sleeve could say IBM, the other sleeve could say
AT&T, you could have a ballcap on that would say General Motors, or a
tie that would flash Gannett.
This is the whole idea.
I could see the House, or Congress, in fact, could end up looking
like Three Rivers Stadium with corporate banners hanging from the backs
of the galleries.
We must first act voluntarily so that Members say Congress is not for
sale, and they do not accept those gifts.
Next we must enact strong legislation. Last year the House voted on
two separate occasions by margins of 3 to 1, yet on January 4, the
first day of this Congress, it was the Democrats that moved to impose
the tough gift restrictions and royalty limits, but not one single
member of the opposition party would join us in that, and I know there
are Members over there, if they give it a second thought, would be much
stronger.
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