[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ARROGANT POLITICAL ACTS RESULT IN STAGNATION AND NONACTION

  (Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, for the last 4 months a bipartisan task force 
on ethics reform has been meeting. Yesterday the 12 Members of that 
task force voted out its final recommendations with only one dissent, 
the gentleman from California [Mr. Thomas]. All the Democrats voted for 
it and all but Mr. Thomas on the Republican side. We set a public 
hearing for Friday and we were directing to have the matter voted on on 
the floor next week, perhaps as early as Tuesday.
  Late last night we were informed that the Republican leadership of 
the House of Representatives had fired the task force, canceled the 
public hearing, and would not have the bipartisan work of the task 
force considered on the floor next week. This is the most arrogant 
political act since the Saturday Night Massacre, when Richard Nixon 
fired Archibald Cox 24 years ago.
  We, as a bipartisan group, had agreed upon ways to reform the ethics 
task force with all the Republicans except one supporting that, and 
then we were fired by the Republican leadership last night and told we 
may not proceed to amend the ethics procedures of this House. This is 
unacceptable.

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