[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE NEED FOR REAL REFORM OF LOBBYING AND CONGRESSIONAL PRACTICES

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                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 27, 2006

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, the American people have lost faith in 
Congress--as seen in the dismal 30 percent approval ratings. It 
demonstrates that our fellow citizens believe Congress no longer keeps 
their interests at the forefront of its mind. Instead, they've learned 
that special interests get the first, and sometimes the only say, in 
this House.
  They read in the paper about how some Members pay coach fares, but 
fly in luxurious corporate jets.
  They've read reports about a Member who opened up defense contracts 
to the highest briber. And were only caught because a few, intrepid 
local reporters were better policemen than the gridlocked House Ethics 
Committee.
  Because they know their elected representatives are often forced to 
vote on legislation that hasn't been available long enough to read.
  What if, after someone signed papers on a new home, the bank inserted 
an extra page of regulations into the agreement? And the bank then 
claimed that the new homeowner's signature was proof they agreed to it? 
That person would be outraged, and justifiably so.
  But last December, during consideration of the fiscal year 2006 
defense appropriations conference report, 40 pages of text were 
inserted into the agreement after conferees had signed it. This text 
gave inappropriate immunity to makers of avian flu vaccines. It was 
done, quite literally, in the middle of the night. Sadly, there was no 
outrage from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. It was 
business as usual under this House leadership.
  Yet I must report with deep regret that the bill before us does 
nothing to address these issues. At best, the Majority's proposal only 
papers over the deep divide between Republicans and most Americans on 
how Congress should conduct itself.
  In the Rules Committee, I offered an amendment to allow Members 24 
hours to read legislation before a floor vote on it. It would seem like 
exactly the kind of approach that our constituents want. But, the 
Majority rejected in Committee mark-up in addition to blocking it from 
coming to the floor for debate.
  I also offered an amendment that would require a public vote by 
conferees on all conference agreements, Again, my amendment goes to the 
real abuses that our constituents are concerned about. But again, the 
Majority rejected it.
  It is perhaps the ultimate irony--and the highest level of 
hypocrisy--that the House is debating a bill intended to increase 
transparency under a restrictive rule. Democrats have consistently 
identified abuses of power in how this Congress conducts business. And 
now we see those same abuses being used to prevent true reform from 
even being debated in public.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people have reached their limit with the 
conduct of this House. Soon, they may take their ball and bat and go 
home. They'll tune us out forever. Click off C-SPAN. Walk away, 
disgusted by the very process that is supposed to represent them. We 
must enact real reform before its too late--reform that raises the bar 
on both lobbyists and Members. That is not this bill, and it cannot be 
this bill under the straightjacket laid down in this rule. I urge my 
colleagues to reject this rule, reject this bill and start over.

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