[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 137 (Wednesday, September 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H8547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              THE GIFT BAN AND LOBBYING REFORM PROVISIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives is a House 
that is in need of repair. After decades of withstanding the heavy 
reins of special interests, lobbyists and gifts, our House has truly 
suffered. Our structure is not sound, and this once great institution 
is in danger of collapse. Today in fact, and my colleague who spoke a 
minute ago, I would say to him that today, we have an opportunity in 
this House. We have a historic opportunity to begin to rebuild this 
institution by passing gift and lobbying reform.
  I think if there is anything that the American people want to see is 
that the Congress of the United States begins to live their lives the 
way working middle-class families in this country have got to live 
their lives. The American public strongly favors banning gifts from 
lobbyists to Members of Congress, and so do I. Perks and privileges 
demean this institution and every single person who serves here. That 
is not why we were elected to these offices. We are here to do the 
people's work, and we are well compensated for that. We do not need 
free vacations, free frequent flyer miles, free gifts, or free meals to 
sweeten the deal. Those working middle-class families that I talked 
about a moment ago, they are not getting anything free. They are paying 
and paying and paying. They are not able to keep their heads above 
water, and they are frightened to death of what is going to happen to 
themselves and to their families. For the first time in this country, 
that American dream is no longer there. Families are concerned that 
their kids are not going to get the same benefits and the same 
advantages that they have had.
  We do need to enforce disclosure by lobbyists. The American people 
have the right to know what legislation these groups are attempting to 
influence and how much money they are spending on those efforts. I 
remind my colleagues that it has been the House that has traditionally 
led lobbying and gift reform efforts in the Congress. It is high time 
that we tackle these issues and join our colleagues in the other body 
in implementing serious gift and lobby reform. Some of us have already 
instituted a no-gift policy in our offices, because we feel so strongly 
about this. I can speak from experience; it is not that difficult to 
just say no to lobbyists.
  Because the Republican leadership has repeatedly told us that the 
schedule for this season is full, this vote today will probably be our 
last chance to pass lobby and gift reform this year. Let us seize the 
opportunity to limit the influence of special interests on Congress 
once and for all. Let us take a definitive step to really reforming 
this institution.
  So I urge my colleagues today to join me and others who are speaking 
here this morning to join us in this effort to defeat the previous 
question on the rule in order that the American people know once and 
for all that we are serious about repairing this House of 
Representatives. It is time to shore up these walls, to rebuild this 
institution. Let it be reflective of the people's interests, and not 
reflective of the special interests.

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