[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 111 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H8518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REFORM WEEK HAS BECOME WEAK REFORM

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend here remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, for months the Republican leadership has 
been talking about reform week and promising to end the current money 
chase in Washington. Well, today the House held reform hour, and it was 
a disgrace. Instead of presenting legislation that could have passed 
the House with a bipartisan majority, the Republican leadership put up 
a bill that benefited special interests only.
  Ralph Nader's group Public Citizen called the Thomas bill a big step 
in the wrong direction on campaign finance and urged its defeat. Common 
Cause said:

       The repackaged Thomas bill is phony reform that locks in 
     the corrupt status quo, leaves open the floodgates for 
     special-interest PAC money and increases the amount wealthy 
     individuals can contribute to influence special elections.

  Now reform week has come and gone, and the Republican leadership has 
squandered any chance we had to keep our promise to reform the 
political money game in Washington. Reform week has truly become weak 
reform.

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