[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 30, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REPUBLICANS HIDING BEHIND PREVIOUS ABUSES AND NOT ALLOWING CAMPAIGN 
                      FINANCE REFORM TO TAKE PLACE

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, if it is illegal, prosecute it, but do 
not hide behind it as the Republicans have been doing throughout this 
session.
  Indeed, our Republican colleagues came into this Congress in 1995 
promising revolutionary change, and they have given us nothing but the 
most modest and cosmetic touchover of the way business as usual is 
conducted in this body.
  If they had any real interest in revolutionary change in the way this 
Congress operates, campaign finance would have been considered in 
January 1995. Instead, we have had nothing but delays. And this year, 
having failed to reform the system in time for the last election, they 
are hiding behind any abuses that occurred, Democrat or Republican, in 
the last election, to defeat reform this time.
  Even as our colleagues down the hall in the other body debate genuine 
campaign finance reform, they continue to refuse to schedule 1 minute 
for real debate, for presentation of bipartisan proposals on the floor 
of this House.

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