[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE CABLE-SATELLITE PUBLIC AFFAIRS NETWORK

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, this is very important. We are going to 
observe the 40th anniversary of C-SPAN. Are you ready for that? Are you 
braced for the excitement of it all?
  If that is not enough for you, today is my birthday. No singing. I 
thank you so much, and I will convey those good wishes to C-SPAN as 
well.
  Madam Speaker, our Founders envisioned a people's House that would be 
transparent and accountable to the American people. The very first 
House sessions were made open to the public so that the American people 
could see our debates and have their voices heard.
  I rise to honor an institution that powerfully honors that legacy, 
ensuring that our sessions can be a townhall for the Nation: the Cable-
Satellite Public Affairs Network, C-SPAN.
  Since its founding 40 years ago, C-SPAN has offered tens of millions 
of Americans a front-row seat to democracy, training an unblinking eye 
on Congress and the campaign trail, Presidents and parliaments, and so 
much more.
  We all know C-SPAN is a pillar of our public discourse and a beacon 
of unbiased reporting, an institution so committed to objectivity and 
impartiality that its founder never once uttered his own name on the 
air throughout 33 years of interviews, roundtables, and lectures.
  I thank Brian Lamb for his service to our democracy.
  C-SPAN has not only exposed our public debate, it has enhanced our 
discourse, and in doing so, enriched our democracy: shining light on 
government to keep our leaders honest and accountable, educating and 
informing the public through gavel-to-gavel coverage, Book TV, American 
History TV, C-SPAN Radio, the Video Library, and interactive resources 
such as the C-SPAN bus--let's hear it for the C-SPAN bus--and renewing 
the promise and purpose of our American democracy, a government of, by, 
and for the people.
  In the first speech ever televised by C-SPAN, our former colleague, 
then-Representative Al Gore, spoke prescient words about its power.
  Al Gore said:

       The marriage of this medium and of our open debate have the 
     potential . . . to revitalize representative democracy, 
     offering a solution for the lack of confidence in government.

  Our country has been strengthened by C-SPAN's progress to deliver on 
that promise, revitalizing our democracy so that people can have 
confidence that this institution works for the public interest.
  On behalf of the House of Representatives, I did want to tell you 
some C-SPAN stories about what children have said about what they have 
seen when they have watched Congress in session, but I will save that 
for another day.
  On behalf of the House of Representatives, I thank the founder, Brian 
Lamb, and the entire C-SPAN family for their enduring contributions to 
the public debate and to our American democracy.
  Congratulations on 40 years.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from California 
(Mr. McCarthy), who is the minority leader.
  Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Speaker for 
yielding, and I also want to wish her a very happy birthday.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate a milestone in the history of open 
and accessible government. Now, many of us here and across the country 
were first introduced as a child to how government works through our 
Saturday morning cartoons in Schoolhouse Rock's ``I'm Just a Bill on 
Capitol Hill,'' but giving life to the animation, C-SPAN has taken the 
education and turned it into experience.
  Over the last 40 years, C-SPAN has ensured the country experienced 
some of the most consequential and memorable moments that transpired 
right here in this body.
  On the 50th anniversary of the Selma civil rights march,   John Lewis 
reminded us of the quiet dignity of the 600 Americans who put their 
lives on the line that this Nation might live up to the promises made 
in its founding documents. As   John Lewis said, Our country will 
never, ever be the same because of what happened on this bridge. C-SPAN 
was there.
  At the height of the Iraq war, Sam Johnson, a Vietnam veteran and 
POW, gave a powerful salute to our soldiers and taught us an important 
lesson about patriotism and service before self. We are better as a 
country because of the example Sam Johnson set. C-SPAN was there.
  Throughout these 40 years of experiences that have changed the 
culture of history, from the Contract with America to the election of 
the first woman Speaker, even capturing the lighthearted moments of 
humor that can make their way in to times of very serious debate, C-
SPAN captured it all.
  This is important because the rise of the internet and the new media 
environment has only reinforced the need for C-SPAN's unfiltered 
coverage and unbiased programing. Now more than ever people must be 
able to form their own opinions. They need objective coverage, access 
to balanced analysis, and the opportunity to debate their views with 
others in good faith. C-SPAN does just that.
  Madam Speaker, James Madison believed that representative government 
did more than cater to individual interests. He said that one of its 
key advantages was that it refined and enlarged the public view about 
the common good. For the last 40 years, C-SPAN has been an 
irreplaceable tool for accomplishing Madison's vision.
  I know I speak for the whole House in congratulating C-SPAN for four 
decades of coverage.

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