[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 13082-13083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



       TIME TO END CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF MONEY ON PUBLIC POLICY

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, the corrupting influence of money on public 
policy is evident in this House every day. It is evident not only as a 
principal concern that arises here on vote after vote, significantly 
influenced by who, gave how much, to whom, when, but it is also 
particularly evident in the silence on critical issues of public 
policy, on what is never discussed. When we are unable to consider 
critical issues of public health because of the soft money 
contributions from Philip Morris and the tobacco industry; when we are 
never able to debate the outrageous price discrimination against our 
seniors on their pharmaceuticals

[[Page 13083]]

because of the millions of dollars that the pharmaceutical companies 
contribute, and by the multiple issues never considered that impact our 
children, who make no campaign contribution.
  Today we have an opportunity to consider a very modest, a very 
incomplete and imperfect answer to this troubling predicament through 
bipartisan legislation. This legislation represents our best hope to 
begin to correct this outrage and restore our democracy to the people.

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