[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 31 (Thursday, March 19, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  (Mr. PASCRELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, the efforts of the freshman task force 
have given us a very real chance for meaningful campaign finance 
reform. I am committed to seeing that this opportunity is not lost. It 
is incumbent upon this Congress that we honestly address the many flaws 
in the current system by which we finance our campaigns. I believe the 
very credibility of not just this Congress but of the entire 
institution is at stake.
  The sad reality is that the American public holds Congress in very 
low esteem. We cannot reasonably expect to effectively carry out our 
duties as Congressmen if we lack credibility.
  Whether we want to admit it or not, the fact is that our campaign 
finance system is jeopardizing our own credibility. We should not fool 
ourselves into believing that the problem is only the illegal 
activities that occur during campaigns. Quite to the contrary, the real 
problems stem from what is legal.
  I hope that we will address, Mr. Speaker, the growing problem of the 
way soft money is influencing this system; and the sooner we do it, the 
better we will be in terms of getting back our own credibility.

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