[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 275-276]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       DEMOCRATIC AGENDA ON HONEST LEADERSHIP AND OPEN GOVERNMENT

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, this week with pride the new Democratic 
House opens this congressional session by bringing ethics reform 
measures to the House floor that will sever the unhealthy ties between 
lawmakers and lobbyists.
  We made a promise to the American people that we would drain the 
swamp of unethical behavior here in Washington, and we begin this 
Congress by living up to that promise by banning travel and gifts from 
lobbyists, getting tough on special interest earmarks, and ending the 
abusive processes that have destroyed democracy.
  The American people sent us all a message last November. They want us 
to work for them and not for the special interests. I would hope that 
our agenda for reform would garner the support of both Democrats and 
Republicans. We should all be interested in policies that will ensure 
that the outrageous abuses of power that have taken place over the last 
couple of years do not continue.
  These important reforms are only the beginning.

[[Page 276]]



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