[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H10773-H10774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      EXCUSES FOR BREAKING THE LAW

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, here is a big surprise: The wife of John 
Huang has joined the growing legions of people under investigation for 
campaign finance lawbreaking who have either fled the country, taken 
the fifth amendment, or otherwise come up with amnesia about raising 
money from foreign citizens.
  This is not big news to most of the major media, of course. After 
all, it appears that most of the time all they do is read their nightly 
newscast straight off DNC press releases. In fact, I have a hard time 
telling the difference between liberal reporting on the campaign 
finance hearings and what the expert ``spinmeisters'' at the White 
House are saying.
  We have heard some great excuses, from ``everybody does it,'' to ``we 
had to cheat. Otherwise, Republicans would have won.'' Maybe some of 
the best excuses are these two: ``Sure, I broke the law, but it is the 
system's fault, and we need to reform it.'' Then there is this one: ``I 
don't care if they broke the law. The Republicans are on a witch 
hunt.''

[[Page H10774]]

  Right. I wonder if the reforms the other side has in mind will 
continue to consider taking foreign money as a crime.

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