[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 125 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SUPPORT PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION TO BAR FORMER MEMBER FROM FLOOR

  (Mr. EDWARDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, if there is any principle that Republican-
Democratic Members of Congress should be able to agree upon, it is that 
no outside person should be allowed to walk onto this floor and 
verbally attack in crude vulgar language any Member of this House. For 
that reason, I want to urge all Members, from both parties, to support 
today the privileged resolution to bar former Member Robert Dornan from 
floor privileges.
  Mr. Speaker, if I used in this statement the crude language used by 
Mr. Dornan against our colleague yesterday, my words would be struck 
from the House Record and I would be denied the right to speak, even 
though I am a sitting Member.
  Why should an outside member, someone not an elected Member of this 
body, be treated any differently?
  Mr. Speaker, this historic House should be a sanctuary of democracy, 
where all elected Members from both parties should be able to exercise 
their constitutional obligations to be the voice of their constituents. 
No Member should exercise that authority and that right with fear of 
being attacked by an outside member of this body. Vote for this 
privileged resolution today.

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