[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 37 (Friday, March 27, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    REPUBLICANS CANNOT STAND OPEN DEBATE ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  (Mr. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, after 15 months, after 15 
months and campaign scandals across this country, the best the 
Republican leadership can come up with is to give Members in the House 
of Representatives 20 minutes of debate on handpicked, hand-selected 
pieces of the campaign finance reform issue.
  It is an insult to the American people, it is an insult to the 
membership of this House, it is an insult to the constituents that we 
represent, because we tell them that we can come here and debate the 
great issues that confront this country, but Newt Gingrich and the 
Republicans have decided they cannot stand an open debate on campaign 
finance reform. They cannot stand a little bit of sunshine on an issue 
that plagues our democratic institutions, scandals that are across this 
country, scandals that beset every officeholder in this country, but we 
cannot debate it in front of the American people.
  While Members are away at a funeral, they are going to debate it and 
then vote later that night. It is an insult. It is no wonder, 20 
minutes after 15 months, 20 minutes. That is the best that Speaker 
Gingrich can come up with. What a fraud, what a deception. No wonder we 
are adjourning on April Fools Day.
  No wonder we are adjourning, because the fools are going home without 
doing campaign finance reform.

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