[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 44 (Thursday, March 9, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRYING TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS

  (Mr. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, in 1993, the Ethics Committee 
explicitly cautioned Speaker Gingrich to avoid using congressional 
resources in conjunction with his course on American civilization. He 
rejected that advice and promoted the course from the House floor.
  Now that he is being challenged on that he is trying to use the 
Constitution to defend his speech on the House floor.
  The Speaker cannot have it both ways.
  The same Speaker that barred the gentlewoman from Florida, 
Congresswoman Carrie Meek, from discussing the Speaker's book deal on 
the House floor is now saying that a Member can say virtually anything 
on the House floor because it is protected speech under the 
Constitution.
  Speaker Gingrich said yesterday in his press conference: ``It is 
totally legitimate for a Member of Congress to stand up on the floor of 
the House and say virtually anything. Nothing the Ethics Committee 
advises can supersede the constitutional provisions of speech and 
debate.''
  The speech and debate clause of article I of the Constitution, 
however, is solely designed to protect Members of Congress from being 
questioned in any other place, meaning that a Member cannot be 
prosecuted or held liable for anything he or she says on the House 
floor. We all know the House has rules that explicitly forbid Members 
of Congress from doing this, as the Speaker was advised by the Ethics 
Committee in promoting his book.


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