[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 61 (Thursday, May 14, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  (Mr. TIERNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, campaign finance reform still is a critical 
issue confronting this House and needs to be addressed.
  The Committee on Government Reform and Oversight had a particular 
opportunity to address this issue, to hold hearings, and to come up 
with some solutions and some facts that were a basis as to how we 
should proceed in that area.
  So far, however, due to lack of leadership in that committee, we have 
been unable to embark on that process. We have had instead a very 
partisan hearing process, a fiscally irresponsible process, one that is 
motivated by personal vindictiveness not only of persons on the 
majority but also of their staff.
  In fact, we have had a tremendous amount of incompetence in those 
proceedings that have cost the American taxpayers some $6 million. New 
committee leadership is needed to restore credibility to that committee 
and dignity and credibility to this House.
  It is a shame, Mr. Speaker, that the Members of the majority were 
unable to take the action that would allow us to move in that process. 
It now is incumbent upon the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) as the 
head of that committee to realize that he can no longer function 
properly and to move that leadership to another member of that 
committee.

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