[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 45 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H2126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DISCHARGE PETITION WILL ALLOW A FULL, FAIR, AND OPEN DEBATE ON CAMPAIGN 
                             FINANCE REFORM

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, as a number of individuals have mentioned 
this morning, today is Earth Day. I have some very important 
legislation, the leaking underground storage tank bill, that I would 
like to address. But as I was sitting there waiting for my turn, I 
could not help but notice that two of our Democratic colleagues got up 
and signed the discharge petition for campaign finance reform.
  The Democratic Party is leading a fight for campaign finance reform, 
true campaign finance reform. What the discharge petition says, if we 
can get 218 signatures on it, is to bring forth our petition, which 
says let us have a full, fair, open debate on campaign finance. It does 
not endorse any proposal but lets us have a true, fair, open debate on 
campaign finance.
  Unfortunately, the Republican Party leadership will not allow this to 
happen, so we have to use the discharge petition. So with two more 
Members signing today, we are now up to 204. We need 14 more Members to 
come down, have the courage to come down to the well of this floor and 
sign our discharge petition.
  Mr. Speaker, the Democratic Party is leading the fight to have 
campaign finance reform, without endorsing any proposal. Let us do 
campaign finance reform. Sign the discharge petition.

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