[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 11, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H6745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ACCESS TO THE PRESIDENT CAN BE PURCHASED

  (Mr. HOKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California [Mr. Stark] is 
absolutely right about Harry Wu.
  I want to quote this morning in the spirit of bipartisanship from a 
book that President Clinton wrote in 1992 called ``Putting People 
First'':

       American politics is being held hostage by big money 
     interests, including political action committees, lobbies and 
     cliques of $100,000 donors who buy access to Congress and the 
     White House.

  The President actually wrote that in 1992. It is right out of 
``Putting People First.'' Well, last week we saw the culmination of 
what has been a rather shameless parade to the well and a spectacle of 
self-righteousness unequaled in history. Every day that the House is in 
session, liberals take to the House floor and denounce and beat their 
chests about the floods of special interest money. Their self-righteous 
whimpers can be heard for miles from here.
  But we just had the disclosure that the DNC is not immune. 
Apparently, look what is happening. For $100,000 you can go to dinner 
at the White House four times, get a spot on a trade mission. For 
$50,000 you get a Presidential dinner plus high-level briefings.
  Come on. Let us back off and get real.
  

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