[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 8, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           AFTER THE CONTRACT

  (Mrs. SMITH of Washington asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this has been a dynamic month 
as a freshman. It is just a little over a month ago that we came with a 
lot of promises to the American people. We promised a balanced budget 
amendment, line-item veto, and we are marching on.
  I was just interviewed by a newspaper and asked, ``What do you 
think?''
  I said, ``Well, I said I would never run because this Congress will 
never do anything, and just 6 months ago I was a write-in candidate, 
and I was recruited, and I said, `O.K., I'll go for 2 years.'''
  I have to stand before my colleagues today and say, ``This Congress 
has done more than I have seen any Congress do in 2 years.''
  After the contract, Mr. Speaker, we are going to do more, and we are 
going to take up some of the tough issues.
  Today we have introduced a bill, a group of freshmen, that will 
eliminate gifts and trips. This will be a tough one to take on, but 
both our leadership, the committee chairs, and all of us believe that 
it is time that we take on this issue. It will be heard right after the 
contract. It is something very, very important that we do.
  This Congress is not only good, but we also have a high integrity, 
and we are going to make sure that the American people understand that.

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