[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 115 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H6807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, this House has ignored a problem that the 
Speaker and the President shook hands on over 2 years ago, saying we 
were going to deal with the whole question of campaign finance.
  The amount of money that was spent in the last campaign was 
absolutely atrocious. It is a scandal how much money is raised and 
spent in campaigns. It will soon be possible only for those who are 
very rich or those who accept so much money that they cannot have 
independent judgment to come into the House of Representatives.
  I sit on the Committee on Ways and Means. We passed a tax reform bill 
in this House giving the tobacco industry a $50 billion tax break, at a 
time when they are seeking a settlement in many States in this Union 
for health-related problems that have been caused by the tobacco 
industry.
  Mr. Speaker, the only way we can justify or we can explain a $50 
billion tax break is on the basis of the contributions made to 
campaigns in this House of Representatives. It is wrong and it must be 
addressed.

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