[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 159 (Friday, October 13, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1946-E1947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE BOOK TOUR

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                        HON. PATRICIA SCHROEDER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 13, 1995

  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, there is some good news. The Speaker 
says he'll pay for the Government-paid security on his book tour. Today 
I've written the Sergeant at Arms asking him to send a bill. Let's hope 
there is prompt payment.

                                     House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, October 13, 1995.
     Wilson Livingood,
     Sergeant at Arms, The Capitol, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Livingood: Thank you for your September 8 letter. 
     The October 9, 1995, issue of Bill Shipp's Georgia indicates 
     that House Speaker Newt Gingrich has offered to reimburse the 
     taxpayers ``for the cost of his government-paid security'' 
     during his whirl-wind book tour. I congratulate the Speaker 
     on his offer, and I request that you prepare and send him a 
     bill.
       What with the Republican efforts to cut Medicare and 
     balance the budget, I'm sure the Speaker's offer will be 
     welcome.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Pat Schroeder,
     Congresswoman.
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                        Has Newt's Book Bombed?

       It now looks as if House Speaker Newt Gingrich should have 
     taken the $4.5 million book advance offered by HarperCollins, 
     the publishing house owned by controversial media mogul 
     Rupert Murdoch. Reports from 

[[Page E 1947]]
     the publishing industry are that there'll be no second printing of the 
     speaker's book, '`To Renew America,'' and as many as half of 
     the 625,000 run may be returned.
       Gingrich is on the hook for an agent's fee of $675,000, 
     based on the original $4.5 million advance, which Gingrich 
     turned down after bipartisan criticism of the deal. After 
     payments to his ghost-writer, reimbursement to HarperCollins 
     for the costs of his 25-city tour, taxes and reimbursing 
     taxpayers for the cost of his government-paid security, 
     Gingrich may net less from the book deal than his salary as 
     speaker.
       On top of all that, Gingrich has said he will give all of 
     the royalties from book signings to his favorite charity, 
     Earning by Learning, which Gingrich's pal Mel Steely set up 
     at West Georgia College. Maybe the speaker should have 
     arranged for ``bulk purchases'' from some wealthy GOPAC 
     supporters, a la former Speaker Jim Wright.
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