[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H7250-H7251]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRESS MARCHES TOWARD BIPARTISAN REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I believe this has been a 
historic week for colleagues on both sides of the aisle. It is a 
continuation of the 104th Congress's march to bipartisan reforms. 
Looking over the last 6 months, some of the more notable days in the 
House have been those that have seen institutional change.
  First of all, the accountability law, sometimes called the Shays Act, 
has been passed, which, in fact, requires that all the laws we pass 
here in Congress will, in fact, apply to Congress itself. In years 
past, we found there were laws passed such as fair labor standards, 
civil rights laws, and family leave that did not apply to Congress. 
Now, passed by the House and the Senate, signed into law by President 
Clinton, the accountability law requires that Congress be under the 
same laws that it passes for others, and our staffs will have the same 
protections.
  We have also passed a one-third cut in franking. This is a measure 
which will give a reduction in the
 amount of free mail, or taxpayer-paid mail, for each Member, and, in 
fact, will restore some degree of an even playing field for challengers 
and incumbents.

  We have also had a reduction in pensions for House Members. That is a 
measure which is closer to the level given to Federal workers in their 
pensions, and it is certainly a step in the right direction for this 
House.
  We have also outlawed proxy voting in committees. If you are on a 
committee and you want to vote, you have to be there. It makes a lot of 
sense, and you might have thought it would have been adopted prior to 
the 104th Congress. But that was one of the early reforms adopted.
  Also we have had legislation introduced which I support and many 
other Members on both sides of the aisle support, and that is a ban on 
gifts, Mr. Speaker, from lobbyists. No one can believe that a $25 gift, 
whether it be a meal or a token of appreciation from a lobbyist, 
certainly is something we do not want to have. It would not influence 
our vote anyhow, so let's just ban them. That is a bill we hope will 
pass soon.
  The audit of House records, this is the historic item this week which 
came to fruition. While we adopted the rule to allow the audit, this 
week the auditors came forward from Price Waterhouse and, after a 
thorough examination of the books, found that, first of all, the books 
are not clear. But what is clear is there are unpaid bills, there is a 
breach of the security system for our computers, and there is not a 
clear accounting, Mr. Speaker, of all the equipment that we have here 
in the House, to say the least.

[[Page H 7251]]

  Mr. Speaker, as a result of a bipartisan House resolution passed last 
evening, we will, in fact, continue the audit by the firm of Price 
Waterhouse to make sure that we have our fiscal house in order for this 
Chamber and continue the kinds of savings we have already realized this 
year, with $155 million already in savings in the running of the House 
by reducing one-third of the committee staffs, eliminating 3 
committees, 25 subcommittees, and now we are going to have the sale of 
one of our buildings.
  In addition, Mr. Speaker, we have had the closing of the House 
folding room. We are working on privatizing, downsizing, consolidating, 
and reducing the number of Federal agencies we have, and I believe the 
House is moving forward by just reducing our own
 staffs as a way of example, saying we can do that with the Federal 
Government generally and having more service to the people, but less 
bureaucracy to support them.

  We also have the legislation from the gentleman from Florida [Mr. 
Mica] to sunset Federal regulations, and my bill which would sunset 
Federal agencies that are being duplicated by State government or by 
the private sector.
  Mr. Speaker, so as far as I am concerned, and I think many other 
Members, we are on our way to great reform, not only for the Federal 
Government spending less money and being more accountable, but making 
sure we reform the House, which is the people's House.

                          ____________________