[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H1455]]
        LET US GET REAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM OUT ON THE FLOOR

  (Mr. HINCHEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, the American people and most of the Members 
of this Congress agree that the most important issue currently facing 
our country is reforming the way we finance campaigns. Earlier this 
year, the Senate defeated campaign finance reform when the leadership 
over there engaged in a filibuster. Now the leadership in this House is 
bringing a bill to the floor which is a complete hoax.
  Here is what Common Cause has to say about the bill. ``Under the 
Republican leadership bill, tobacco companies could continue to launder 
soft money through the State parties in order to influence Federal 
elections, as they did in 1996. And under the Republican leadership 
bill, medium mogul Rupert Murdoch could again run $1 million in soft 
money through the California Republican party, as he did during the 
1996 campaign while he was seeking favorable treatment in Washington on 
Federal communications legislation.'' He succeeded, by the way.
  The great Republican Abraham Lincoln said, ``You can't fool all the 
people all the time.'' Let us stop fooling around and get real campaign 
finance reform out here on the floor.

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