[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 17, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H10439-H10440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1415
                   RELEASE THE GINGRICH ETHICS REPORT

  (Mr. LEWIS of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to once again add my 
voice to the growing chorus of Members of this House, editorial board 
writers, public interest groups, and American citizens calling for the 
release of the ethics report on Speaker Gingrich.


                             point of order

  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Miller of Florida). The gentleman from 
Georgia [Mr. Lewis] will suspend.
  The gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Linder] will state his point of 
order.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, is it within the rules of the House to refer 
to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct on the 
floor of the House?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. That is not in order and the gentleman must 
proceed in order.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, further point of order. Is the gentleman in 
the well speaking out of order?

[[Page H10440]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair rules the gentleman is out of 
order.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman continues, will the Chair 
rule that he sit down?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will take that under advisement.
  The gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Lewis] may proceed in order.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the American public has paid 
$500,000 for this report and deserves the right to know what is in it.
  This weekend the Speaker himself said: ``I am totally in favor of 
releasing the report. The Speaker of the House is second in line to be 
President, is a very powerful position and the country deserves to 
know.''
  Mr. Speaker, the country does deserve the right to know, and they 
deserve to know right now. Stop the stonewalling, stop the delay, stop 
the stalling. Release the outside counsel's report now and let the 
public draw their own conclusion. Anything less----


                             point of order

  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is ignoring the rule of the 
Chair and he is referring to matters before the Committee on Standards 
of Official Conduct, and it strikes me that it is the appropriate time 
to have him sit down.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair sustains the point of order. The 
gentleman's time has expired.

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