[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 9, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MORE ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE

  (Mr. TURNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2183, the 
bipartisan freshman campaign finance reform bill. Abraham Lincoln once 
wrote that with public trust, everything is possible. And without it, 
nothing is impossible. He recognized that a democracy cannot work 
unless people have confidence and trust in their government.
  Over the last few decades, this essential trust has been undermined, 
not only by periodic scandals but by the everyday practice of raising 
huge sums of money from wealthy contributors and special interests. 
Year after year, both parties raise larger and larger amounts of what 
people in Washington call ``soft money,'' but my folks back home in 
Texas call ``hard cash.''
  People cannot help but wonder whether their government is for sale to 
the highest bidder. The reforms that we propose are not intended to 
help or hurt either party. These reforms are designed to help restore 
the people's confidence in the independence of their Representatives 
and in the integrity of their government. The only way to regain 
people's confidence is to pass campaign finance reform.

                          ____________________