[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     REPUBLICANS SHOULD ESCHEW ATTACKS ON SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY

  (Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the 
Republicans are frustrated. Watching the ``Gong Show'' they have been 
putting on today underlines that. But scapegoating when frustrated is 
not appropriate behavior.
  Mr. Speaker, this attack that is now coming on Secretary of the 
Treasury Rubin, and the preposterous suggestion that he might be 
impeached, has served no purpose except to cause serious problems in 
the bond market, because some of those people think that people on the 
other side might actually be serious, not having had firsthand exposure 
to them.
  Robert Rubin is guilty of doing his job superbly. He had a hearing 
before the House Committee on Banking. When the Republicans talked to 
him and asked him questions, they were not able to come forward with a 
single suggestion of anything that he had done inappropriately. I asked 
Republicans and their only objection was that we did not have their 
version of a balanced budget.
  Mr. Speaker, threatening to impeach an outstanding public official 
because they disagree with his having freed a hostage they have taken 
is one of the tactics that the Republicans ought to eschew. Why do they 
not go back to their fifth, sixth, and seventh CR instead?

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