[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 22 (Thursday, February 9, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          STOCK ACT SOLD SHORT

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, what the public saw today in the House of 
Representatives was a STOCK Act sold short. Unfortunately, what could 
have been an outstanding bill was changed by the Republican leadership 
by taking the two most important aspects put in the Senate bill out. 
One was a public corruption provision that would have allowed 
prosecutors to prosecute, from the courthouse to the Capitol, public 
corruption. This was something Senator Leahy had, and in the House it 
was Representative Sensenbrenner, a Republican, passed unanimously by 
the Judiciary Committee. But for some reason unbeknownst to me, it was 
stripped by the leadership of the Republican side out of the bill. 
Democrats didn't have an opportunity to participate in the drafting of 
the bill, and what was the work of Louise Slaughter and Tim Walz was 
hijacked from them.
  Another important provision was the political intelligence provision. 
It was taken out by K Street lobbyists working with the leadership--
late. That should not have been taken out.
  The two best parts of the STOCK Act were sold short, and the American 
public should have had better today. We passed something, but not what 
we should have done.

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