[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 59 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       QUESTIONS THE PEOPLE IN MISSOURI WILL ASK SPEAKER GINGRICH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Volkmer] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening at the conclusion of the 
debate on the term limits legislation proposed constitutional 
amendment, the Speaker, in addressing the House at the end of his 
remarks made a veiled threat to me and to other Democratic Members that 
when the constitutional amendment failed that it would become the No. 1 
issue in the 1996 elections. And that as a result of that he was going 
to come back and be in the majority in 1997, and that the term limits 
legislation would then become No. 1 legislation, No. 1 bill.
  I accept the challenge from the Speaker. I invite the Speaker to come 
to my district, and we will talk about the term limits legislation.
  But I want to warn the Speaker that when he comes the people in my 
district, as I travel my district, are going to ask him some other 
questions. They are going to ask him some questions about a little book 
deal that he has with Rupert Murdoch and those people.
  Mr. Speaker, they are also going to ask you about GOPAC and how GOPAC 
has been run for the last several years and the use of official office 
expenses, clerical hire, and the workings of GOPAC. And also you are 
going to be asked, Mr. Speaker, about use of official staff in the 
writing of your first book, ``Windows of Opportunity,'' in 1984.
  You are going to be asked that, Mr. Speaker, because people now know 
as a result of an article in the Los Angeles Times on March 20, 1995, 
that your former staffers, the people who used to work for you, have 
told a reporter, Glenn F. Bunting and Alan C. Miller, staff writers for 
the Los Angeles Times, and these are their words, not mine, that in 
1984 when the book was being written, the ``Windows of Opportunity,'' 
that the manuscript for that book was actually done in your official 
office by some of your official staff, on Government time, Government 
paying for it, and yet, you and your wife were paid thousands of 
dollars for writing of that book.
  Mr. Speaker, they are going to also ask you about the statements by 
your former staff members that back in 1989 that there was a 
commingling of staff work on the course that you are teaching, or were 
teaching just recently, no longer teaching, but were teaching at the 
small college in Georgia and that work, preparation, et cetera, was 
being done, a lot of it was being done at your office, both here in 
Washington and in Georgia.
  There are some of us that are in this House that are very concerned 
about the fact that the complaints and these allegations have been 
filed with the Ethics Committee and yet I believe in the 10 weeks I 
think the Ethics Committee has been in existence, the Ethics Committee 
has yet to act. And, in fact, the gentlewoman from Connecticut, who is 
the chairman of the Ethics Committee and also on this floor on January 
4 when you were elected as Speaker and sworn in, the gentlewoman 
seconded your nomination, so there may be some conflict of interest 
there, so I understand the gentlewoman says there will be not anything 
done, no action taken at all until after the Easter recess.
  For one party, the Gingrich Republican Party in this House to be able 
to do the contract on America legislation in 100 days, and yet not even 
have preliminary meetings and decisions made as to whether or not these 
matters should be investigated and as to whether or not a special 
counsel should be appointed is beyond me. It just shows me, Mr. 
Speaker, that there is stonewalling going on here, you are going to 
stonewall it, you are not going to proceed with the investigation, you 
are going to tell the American public, people in my district who I 
represent that you are above the rules of the House, and that the rules 
of the House do not apply to you.

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