[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 14, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H935-H936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair must remind Members that it is not 
in order in debate to level or repeat personal charges against the 
President or the Vice President.
  Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, this is being reported from the L.A. 
Times, the New York Times, and all the newspapers in Central Florida. 
So all I am

[[Page H936]]

doing is reporting what is in the newspaper.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is addressing the standard of 
decorum in debate on the House floor.
  Mr. STEARNS. Well, Madam Speaker, if you are quoting from a 
newspaper, like the New York Times, can you do that?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. No.
  Mr. STEARNS. You cannot quote from the New York Times newspaper?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Member makes the words his own by 
quoting from the newspaper.
  Mr. STEARNS. But I have used the word ``quotation.'' I have actually 
put the word ``quotation'' in there to signal that these are not my 
words but these are words from the newspaper.
  I mean, it appears to me, Madam Speaker, that if you cannot quote the 
newspapers on the House floor and use ``quotation,'' that seems to be a 
denial of the right for a Member to use newspapers in an edifying way.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. It is a settled precedent that the standard 
is the same whether the Member speaks on his own account or quotes 
another source.
  Mr. STEARNS. Out of deference to you, Madam Speaker, yes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman may proceed.
  Mr. STEARNS. So, Madam Speaker, it is time for the Attorney General 
to disclose Mr. LaBella's report. That is all I am asking here today.
  The American people have a right to know what is in that report. In 
fact, they should have an opportunity to know what the FBI director 
said when he also recommended that an independent counsel be appointed.

                              {time}  1245

  I think at this point, I think that the newspapers speak for 
themselves and so now, Madam Speaker, I think the Attorney General 
should come forward and tell us when she is going to make that report 
available.

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