[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4381-4384]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   THANKING C-SPAN FOR ITS SERVICE ON 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FIRST 
                    COVERAGE OF PROCEEDINGS OF HOUSE

  Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 551) thanking C-SPAN for its service to the House 
of Representatives on the 25th anniversary of its first coverage of the 
proceedings of the House.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 551

       Whereas C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) is 
     a nonprofit educational organization created in 1979 through 
     the vision of Brian Lamb in order to provide live, gavel-to-
     gavel coverage of the House of Representatives to the 
     American people;
       Whereas on March 19, 1979, the House of Representatives 
     turned on its cameras, and for the first time C-SPAN and its 
     staff of just 4 people brought the live proceedings of the 
     House into 3.5 million American homes;
       Whereas in 1980, C-SPAN covered its first Presidential 
     election and created one of the first nationwide viewer call-
     in programs;
       Whereas by 1982, C-SPAN's schedule expanded to 24 hours a 
     day, 7 days a week;
       Whereas in June 1986, C-SPAN2 was created to broadcast live 
     coverage of the Senate;
       Whereas by 1990, C-SPAN broadcast to 50 million American 
     households, and this number expanded to 60 million households 
     just three years later in 1993;
       Whereas in January 1997, C-SPAN launched live web coverage 
     of the House and Senate proceedings on the Internet;
       Whereas today, C-SPAN has a staff of 275, its around-the-
     clock programming is available to 86 million households via 
     7,900 cable systems, and an estimated 28,000,000 people watch 
     C-SPAN each week; and
       Whereas while only 51 percent of Americans voted in the 
     2000 election, surveys show that percentage of regular C-SPAN 
     viewers who voted in the election was 90 percent: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses the thanks of the House of Representatives to 
     the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) for its 
     service to the House on the 25th anniversary of its first 
     coverage of the proceedings of the House;
       (2) recognizes that for 25 years C-SPAN has met, and 
     continues to meet each day, its mission of providing the 
     Members of the House with a direct, unfiltered conduit to the 
     American people on whose behalf they go to work every day, 
     and in turn has provided direct access for the American 
     people to their elected officials through call-in and other 
     programs;
       (3) recognizes that since its inception 25 years ago, C-
     SPAN has forever changed the face of American political life, 
     provided tremendous benefits to the American people and their 
     elected officials, and has had a significant positive impact 
     on the American democracy;
       (4) expresses its deep gratitude to Brian Lamb and the more 
     than 275 C-SPAN employees who bring the proceedings of the 
     House into the homes of tens of millions of Americans each 
     day; and
       (5) commends C-SPAN and its employees for a tremendous 25 
     years of service to the American people and the Federal 
     Government.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney).

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise here today in support of House Resolution 551, 
a bill honoring Brian Lamb and C-SPAN's Cable-Satellite Public Affairs 
Network for 25 years of service to the United States House of 
Representatives. Obviously, we all know today, Madam Speaker, about the 
importance of technology and the media in order to get the message out 
to millions of Americans, and frankly millions of people around the 
world, of what is occurring here on the floor of the people's House. It 
is, I think, an important endeavor to be able to use technology, in 
fact, to bring the people's message into living rooms, again, not only 
in the United States but around the world. We have watched technology 
be a great tool of progress, in fact, for this Chamber and for the 
people, from the electronic voting board that was created under 
Chairman Wayne Hayes, the late Wayne L. Hayes, who was my Congressman 
from Belmont County, Ohio, when they automated the electronic voting 
board to save time in voting. And then we look into the late 1970s; and 
on March 19, 1979, with a staff of just four employees, C-SPAN first 
began broadcasting gavel-to-gavel coverage of the proceedings of the 
House of Representatives to millions of American households. So once 
again the Chamber was

[[Page 4382]]

coming into the modern era with the use of technology.
  Over the next quarter century, C-SPAN expanded its programming scope 
to include events and interviews featuring influential politicians, 
statespeople, scholars, and authors and provides opportunities for 
viewers to call and express their thoughts on important public policy 
matters. In addition, C-SPAN2 was created to furnish coverage of the 
U.S. Senate.
  C-SPAN has become an essential tool in our country for fostering 
civic education and governmental accountability. It is now our turn 
today, Madam Speaker, and I am happy to be here with the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson), our distinguished ranking member, who cares 
deeply about the institution of the House and also about technology and 
the openness of the House to make itself available to the American 
people and to the world. So it is a pleasure to join our ranking 
member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), in honoring C-
SPAN's founder, Brian Lamb, for his vision and public spiritedness.
  Also, I would be remiss if I did not point out that downstairs is a 
House recording studio; and at that recording studio, there are 
employees of the U.S. House who, in fact, operate the cameras and 
provide the great service that then allows C-SPAN to take the feed from 
these cameras and to broadcast. So I want to thank our staff of the 
U.S. House.
  But, again, it is a pleasure and an honor to be here today with the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) and my other colleagues who 
cosponsored this legislation. Such interest in this legislation proves 
the extent to which C-SPAN has truly become the indispensable 
institution in our country.
  Madam Speaker, I urge full support of House Resolution 551.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to join my distinguished colleague from 
Ohio and support this motion and associate myself with his remarks.
  In the quarter century since its inception, C-SPAN has become an 
institution. No organization has done more to enhance America's 
understanding of its government, its history than the Cable-Satellite 
Public Affairs Network. More than 85 million households have access to 
C-SPAN today, and millions regularly tune in to see their government in 
action. That is the way it should be.
  The gentleman from Ohio mentioned the outstanding contribution of 
Brian Lamb, and truly we should acknowledge the great efforts in his 
vision to bring government to the households of every single American. 
I am proud to say as well that in the State of Connecticut is CT-N, 
which again is modeled after C-SPAN, which provides an opportunity to 
view the local legislative bodies and municipalities and actions so, in 
fact, people from their homes, especially many who are inbound, get an 
opportunity to participate in government on a regular basis.
  Madam Speaker, today, especially on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, it 
is great to acknowledge the true father of C-SPAN in this Chamber and 
that is the legendary Speaker Tip O'Neill. Tip O'Neill was fond of 
saying that social policies brought many poor into the great American 
tent of opportunity. During his years as Speaker, many Americans were 
brought into the Halls of Congress via television. His decision to 
support televised coverage of the House of Representatives ushered in a 
new era of government accessibility. House TV went through its growing 
pains, but its success eventually influenced the Senate to follow suit, 
voting to let itself be televised in 1986.
  When future generations remember Tip O'Neill, the man who served the 
longest consecutive term as Speaker, they may well remember him as the 
man who let Americans see their government at work as well.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to join my distinguished colleague in 
support of his motion. In the quarter-century since its inception, C-
SPAN has become an institution. No organization has done more to 
enhance Americans' understanding of their government and history than 
the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network. More than 85 million 
households have access to C-SPAN today, and millions regularly tunein 
to see their government in action. This is as it should be.
  Like microwave ovens, cellular telephones, the Internet, and other 
developments of this modern age, C-SPAN has become part of daily life 
for millions of Americans. Not only would we notice immediately if C-
SPAN disappeared, most of us can't remember how we lived without it.
  Think of it Madam Speaker. Before Brian Lamb transformed his vision 
of a television network devoted solely to public affairs into reality, 
Americans unable to visit the House gallery had to rely on others' 
reports about what their representatives said and did here. On March 
19, 1979, all that changed. Beginning on that date, Americans could see 
and hear for themselves, immediately, directly, and unfiltered by 
others.
  And while Americans may at times have disagreed with what they have 
seen or heard on the House floor since them, there is no question that 
Americans appreciate C-SPAN, and the cable-television industry, for 
enabling them to see and hear it. I know I was grateful for the 
opportunity to appear on C-SPAN for the first time on July 26, 2001, to 
talk about fuel cell technology.
  Look how far C-SPAN has come in the past quarter-century. On that 
first day, four employees could broadcast gavel-to-gavel coverage of 
House proceedings, over one network initially available to fewer than 4 
million homes.
  Today, C-SPAN offers government and politics coverage over three 
television networks, one radio network, and over its website, c-
span.org, all of it round-the-clock and accomplished without public 
funds. Not only can Americans now watch the floor debates of both the 
House and Senate, they can see interest groups, academics and ordinary 
citizens explore pending issues and offer their advice to policymakers. 
In addition to covering Congress, C-SPAN points its cameras at 
presidents and other executive-branch officials whenever possible. It 
covers state proceedings, including gubernatorial ``state-of-the-
state'' messages, legislative debates, and even voting in the electoral 
college.
  Madam Speaker, C-SPAN offers wonderful programming for everyone with 
a passion for public affairs. History have learned much by taking field 
trips to presidential libraries, birthplaces, and elsewhere on the ``C-
SPAN School Bus.'' Viewers are again this year traveling the ``Road to 
the White House,'' with its through coverage of the 2004 campaigns. The 
``Lyndon Johnson Tapes'' offer a fascinating glimpse into a turbulent 
period. Bibliophiles can explore authors and their works on ``Book TV'' 
all weekend long. Anglophiles can revel in British politics with 
``Prime Minister's Questions'' when Parliaments is sitting, and enjoy 
the pomp of the state opening each November.
  C-SPAN has even covered the Canadian and Australian parliaments 
which, like this Congress, derive their traditions from the ``mother of 
Parliaments'' in London.
  I'm so proud that C-SPAN's commitment to educating Americans about 
their government has inspired individuals in my home State of 
Connecticut. The same historic leap of faith that was taken 25 years 
ago by C-SPAN, was also taken by State policy-makers and broadcast 
experts alike in 1999. That year marked the launch of CT-N, also known 
as the Connecticut Network.
  From the beginning, the mission of CT-N has been to connect citizens 
to State government and public affairs programming. Connecticut Network 
provides unfiltered television and Web-cast coverage of all three 
branches of State government. CT-N viewers can watch the legislative 
sessions of the State Senate and House of Representatives, as well as 
committee meetings and public hearings, executive branch agency and 
commission meetings, and selected oral arguments before Connecticut's 
Supreme Court. The network is managed and operated by the Connecticut 
Public Affairs Network, a not-for-profit company founded to educate 
citizens about State government.
  Having served as Senate President Pro Tempore during the years prior 
to the launch of CT-N, I recall those early discussions about how we 
could provide television coverage of State Capitol proceedings. It was 
a daunting task, since at that time only a handful of State 
legislatures were airing government activities. Yet, no one doubted 
that such programming would one day exist in Connecticut. CT-N is now 
available in more than one million households in the State.
  What a thrill it is for me to now see CT-N's camera persons walking 
the halls of the State

[[Page 4383]]

Capitol when I'm back in the district. They are now part of the Capitol 
press corps, ready to cover breaking news at a moment's notice.
  Why does CT-N's viewership continue to grow every year? It's because 
CT-N President and CEO Paul Giguere is constantly looking for new 
opportunities for government programming, and creating unique 
educational resources. For example, ``Joining the Debate: A Guide to 
Testifying at Public Hearings'' is a video produced by CT-N; ``CT-N 
State Civics Toolbox'' is a free teacher resource combining research, 
discussion, and mock legislature classroom activities with video of 
actual legislative debates from the Connecticut General Assembly; 
``Capitol News Briefings'' are programming segments that follow the 
story from hearing rooms to assembly chambers; and ``State Agency 
Close-Ups'' are CT-N video segments that describe each executive branch 
agency in detail.
  Americans are certainly more educated about national public policy 
issues that affect them thanks to C-SPAN. In Connecticut, CT-N gives 
citizens the tools and education needed to understand these same issues 
closer to home.
  Madam Speaker, Senator Claude Pepper of Florida introduced 
legislation providing for broadcasting both houses of Congress in 1944. 
More than three decades later, in 1977, the House passed legislation to 
broadcast its proceedings, thus making C-SPAN possible.
  The vote on the necessary resolution, sponsored by Trent Lott, now a 
Senator from Mississippi, was 342 to 44, an overwhelming expression of 
hope that broadcasting would benefit both the American people and the 
House.
  I was not here then, but I bet the results of the last 25 years have 
exceeded the House's expectations many times over. On behalf of my 
constituents in Connecticut, and the House, I am proud to offer my 
congratulations to Brian Lamb and the entire staff of C-SPAN on its 
25th anniversary of House broadcast coverage. Thanks to C-SPAN, our 
democracy is stronger, making America a better place for us all. I have 
no doubt that, 25 years hence, C-SPAN will have made even greater 
strides than it has in its first quarter-century. I urge everyone to 
tune in and watch C-SPAN prove me right.

                       Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill

       On many a pleasant Thursday night, his former aides say, 
     House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill would slip away to 
     his beloved Cape Code for a weekend of golf. After all, even 
     if the Congress were holding a Friday session, the speaker 
     could tune in to C-SPAN to keep an eye on the floor, and he 
     could phone instructions to his staff on Capitol Hill if he 
     saw something he didn't like.
       Years later, former House Speaker Tip O'Neill would call 
     televising the House of Representatives ``one of the best 
     decisions I ever made.'' In 1977, his first year as speaker, 
     the Massachusetts Democrat agreed to put House television on 
     his agenda; by March 1979, the first live, gavel-to-gavel 
     telecast of the House went our by satellite to 3.5 million 
     cable homes. ``Thanks to television, the House of 
     Representatives is now recognized as the dominant branch of 
     Congress,'' wrote Speaker O'Neill in his 1987 autobiography, 
     Man of the House.
       However, wary of its impact on the legislative process, Tip 
     O'Neill had not always supported House television. ``We were 
     disgusted with how the major networks covered the Republican 
     and Democratic conventions,'' he wrote. ``If a delegate was 
     picking his nose, that's what you'd see. . . . No wonder so 
     many of us were skittish.''
       But after six years of debate on the issue, the new speaker 
     saw it was time to move ahead. So, with the help of 
     Democratic Party leaders, a proposal was crafted that gave 
     the office of the speaker control of the television cameras. 
     ``That,'' he says, ``struck me as a reasonable compromise.'' 
     On October 22, 1977, the House passed a measure permitting 
     full coverage of its sessions--on its own terms and with 
     tight controls--by a vote of 342-44.
       After the measure passed, a telecommunications task force 
     headed by Rep. Charlie Rose (D-North Carolina) helped Speaker 
     O'Neill lay down the rules for the telecasts. A $1.6 million 
     system was installed. Cameras would be trained on the 
     speakers at the podium, and would not be allowed to pan the 
     chamber. During 15-minute votes, an electronic vote tally 
     would cover the screen. Proceedings of the legislative body 
     would be covered live, uninterrupted, and ``gavel-to-gavel'' 
     and would be offered to all accredited news organizations. 
     Only C-SPAN, however, committed itself to telecasting the 
     House of Representatives whenever it was in session.
       The speaker recalls that some members of the House 
     continued to grumble about the television measure after it 
     passed. ``Many of the members, of course, were skeptical. . . 
     . Today, of course, it's hard to imagine Congress without it, 
     and the results of our broadcasting experience have exceeded 
     my wildest hopes,'' he says.
       It may have taken a few years, but House TV gained a loyal 
     following among those members who saw the potential of the 
     unblinking television eye. ``I see a young fellow come on the 
     floor with a blue suit and a red necktie, hair groomed back, 
     and an envelope under his arm,'' the speaker explained, ``and 
     I know that he's going to make a speech and that speech is 
     for home consumption. His office has already notified the 
     local media that he's going to be on and he's going to give a 
     talk.''
       The audience for congressional telecasts grew as well. Just 
     five years into its run, the speaker was calling the audience 
     for Congress ``unbelievable.'' One avid viewer was the 
     speaker himself, who said, ``I really enjoy when I come in at 
     night and put it on and see a committee hearing.''
       During his eight years of congressional TV coverage, the 
     speaker became a familiar figure to many Americans. People 
     began to recognize the speaker when they saw him in airports 
     or on the street. Appearing in a televised interview with C-
     SPAN to mark House TV's fifth anniversary in early 1984, 
     Speaker O'Neill said, ``Television is here to stay now. . . . 
     Everywhere I go, people say, `Well, I saw so-and-so on the 
     show,' or `I listened to this bill,' or `What are your views 
     on that?'' He said he believed that coverage of the House had 
     ``whetted the curiosity of America as far as the running of 
     the government is concerned,'' call it ``very informative for 
     the American people.''
       Within months, though, a controversy would follow the 
     speaker's rosy assessment. In May 1984, Speaker O'Neill 
     asserted his control over the House cameras, provoking cries 
     of protest from House Republicans and leading to a disruption 
     on the House floor. In the process, the way that television 
     covers the House underwent permanent change.
       On May 10, 1984, the speaker ordered House cameras to break 
     with precedent and provide a full view of the empty House 
     chamber during Special Orders speeches. With Rep. Robert 
     Walker (R-Pennsylvania) on the floor, the camera for the 
     first time showed a representative gesturing and talking to a 
     chamber of empty seats.
       Minority whip Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), watching in his 
     office, dropped what he was doing and raced to the floor to 
     denounce the surprise camera angle as ``an underhanded, 
     sneaky, politically motivated change.'' The press picked up 
     on the story immediately and gave it the name of ``Camscam''; 
     Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales called it a ``knockabout 
     slugfest'' and wrote that ``the brouhaha over control of the 
     cameras has ignited the House and in the process served to 
     dramatize again the huge presence television has in the 
     political process.''
       ``Camscam'' came to a head on May 15, when harsh words flew 
     on the House floor between Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) and 
     Speaker O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill called a Gingrich speech `'the 
     lowest thing I have ever seen in my 32 years in Congress''--a 
     remark that the House parliamentarian ruled out of order. The 
     speaker's words were taken down and the phrase was struck 
     from the official congressional record, the first such rebuke 
     to a House speaker in this century.
       In time, ``Camscam'' died down, but today the cameras 
     continue to show the whole chamber during Special Orders, 
     giving audiences a fuller view of the post-legislative 
     business proceedings. Later, in response to an initiative by 
     the Republican leadership, cameras also started showing 
     varied shots of the House members during votes. Slowly, the 
     early restrictions on what the viewing audience could see 
     through television were easing.
       Speaker O'Neill, 75, likes to say that his social policies 
     brought many poor people into ``the great American tent of 
     opportunity,'' During his years as speaker, many Americans 
     were brought into the halls of Congress via television. His 
     decision to support televised coverage of the House of 
     Representatives ushered in a new era of government 
     accessibility. House TV went through its growing pains, but 
     its success eventually influenced the Senate to follow suite, 
     voting to let itself be televised in 1986. When future 
     generations remember Tip O'Neill--the man who served the 
     longest consecutive term as speaker--they may well remember 
     him as the man who let Americans see their government at 
     work.

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the senior 
member of that delegation.
  Mr. MARKEY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for 
yielding me this time.
  I rise to commemorate this great anniversary. I was elected to 
Congress in 1976 just as the great Tip O'Neill was rising to become the 
Speaker of this great House. And there was a debate that raged in 
Congress over whether or not television should be allowed into this 
Chamber, and it was a debate that went on and on behind closed doors 
catalyzed by Brian Lamb, who had this

[[Page 4384]]

idea that he could bring the United States House of Representatives to 
the American people. And of course the younger Members felt that that 
was a great idea because we had all grown up watching television. But 
the older Members, they were not quite so sure that that was a great 
idea, that the cameras would roam around and look for a Member who is 
nodding off, look for a Member reading a newspaper on the floor. And so 
this debate continued until a compromise was reached that the cameras 
would just focus upon the locations where the Members were speaking. 
And it was an incredible discussion.
  But going back that 25 years, it is now clear that C-SPAN has long 
served the American people by opening the House of Representatives, the 
Senate, and thousands of congressional hearings and public safety 
discussions around the U.S. and the globe for the American public to 
see and to hear. And it is all because of this decision made by Tip 
O'Neill, Massachusetts' great man of the House, that all of this was 
made possible.
  As we honor Brian Lamb and C-SPAN for 25 years of televised coverage 
of the House floor proceedings, we must also honor the memory of Tip 
O'Neill, whose singular decision it was to begin televising House 
proceedings, bringing the House of Representatives into the television 
age. Tip took an enormous risk in opening the House floor to the 
cameras. Television coverage had been debated for years; and many of, 
as I said, the more senior Members of the House were vehemently against 
it. The discussions raged in the well of the House for months on end 
over whether or not it was a good decision. There were those who 
preferred the status quo and resisted opening the House floor 
proceedings to television. But one of Tip's first decisions after he 
assumed the House Chair was to turn on the cameras. Tip intuitively 
knew it was an idea whose time had come. And when Brian Lamb went to 
Tip with his idea to take the television feed and send it across the 
Nation, gavel to gavel, and Tip agreed, neither of them quite knew what 
they had wrought.
  Jack Farrell and his great biography, ``Tip O'Neill and the 
Democratic Century,'' has Brian Lamb tell his story of his visit with 
the Speaker: ``I was a nervous wreck. I was shaking.'' He said, ``I 
don't think to this day that'' Tip ``understood what was going to 
happen, and I'll never understand why he did what he did. He had 
nothing to win in the process except a little openness.''
  I would say that Tip achieved a world of openness and brought great 
credit to this institution by allowing the American public to see for 
the first time what had previously been restricted to those who travel 
to Washington and come to visit us in the visitors' gallery. Tip let 
the people all across our country get a chance to see the people's 
House at work. Why did he do it? I would say it was his instinct 
kicking in about what was the right thing to do. And we could always 
trust Tip's instinct. He was right to let C-SPAN in 25 years ago, and 
today we join in expressing our appreciation for Tip's decision and our 
appreciation to Brian Lamb and C-SPAN for asking Tip to create this 
huge revelation which has brought democracy into the homes of every 
single American as well as people around the world. And I think that 
much of the revolution that has happened over the last 25 years in the 
world relates to their ability to see how we create our laws and our 
country. And Tip O'Neill and Brian Lamb deserve the credit.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I just wanted to thank again the dean of the New England delegation 
and of Massachusetts for his thoughtful comments about the beloved Tip 
O'Neill and again associate myself with the remarks of the esteemed 
chairman from Ohio. Indeed, this is a very important event and 
certainly one where both Mr. Lamb and Mr. O'Neill deserve justified 
recognition.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me say in closing, again, I think this is a great day, and 
considering the holiday, and, in fact, my relatives came here under the 
name O'Ney, I would like to thank also the late Speaker, Tip O'Neill, 
our current Speaker O'Hastert and Congressman O'Larson for joining us 
today in honoring C-SPAN.
  Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution 
honoring the service of C-SPAN for the past 25 years.
  Since first broadcasting daily floor proceedings of the U.S. House of 
Representatives in 1979, C-SPAN has fulfilled a great service for the 
American people. C-SPAN did the extraordinary and unthinkable--it 
brought the Federal Government into the homes of millions across the 
country. No longer were the proceedings of the House a mystery--the 
veil was finally lifted and Americans could now see their Government in 
action.
  C-SPAN has continued to grow with the changing face of technology. In 
1986, service was expanded to cover the Senate and beginning in 1997, 
C-SPAN launched live web coverage of the House and Senate proceedings.
  In particular, I would like to salute the creative work of Brian 
Lamb, founder and CEO, for bringing C-SPAN to life. He is a native 
Hoosier and hails from Indiana's Fourth Congressional District. Brian 
still speaks of the small town values he learned while growing up in 
Indiana and talks of the encouragement he received from family and 
teachers for having a tremendous impact on his life. He has not 
forgotten his roots and I thank him for his service to this country and 
to the Congress.
  The vision of C-SPAN was for it to educate the country about the 
Federal Government and how it works on behalf of all of us. And for a 
quarter of a century, C-SPAN has connected people and government in a 
manner that puts the politics aside and focuses on the substantive 
issues. C-SPAN lives by the maxim that the better informed, the better 
we are as a society.
  I am pleased to support this resolution commending Brian, C-SPAN, and 
its staff of 275 employees for 25 years of service and education to the 
American people.
  Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 551.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________