[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6336-6340]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY DONATION REFORM ACT OF 2007

  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 1254) to amend title 44, United States Code, to 
require information on contributors to Presidential library fundraising 
organizations.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1254

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Presidential Library 
     Donation Reform Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES.

       (a) In General.--Section 2112 of title 44, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(h)(1) Any Presidential library fundraising organization 
     shall submit on a quarterly basis, in accordance with 
     paragraph (2), information with respect to every contributor 
     who gave the organization a contribution or contributions 
     (whether monetary or in-kind) totaling $200 or more for the 
     quarterly period.
       ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)--
       ``(A) the entities to which information shall be submitted 
     under that paragraph are the Administration, the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
     Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
       ``(B) the dates by which information shall be submitted 
     under that paragraph are April 15, July 15, October 15, and 
     January 15 of each year and of the following year (for the 
     fourth quarterly filing);
       ``(C) the requirement to submit information under that 
     paragraph shall continue until the later of the following 
     occurs:
       ``(i) The Archivist has accepted, taken title to, or 
     entered into an agreement to use any land or facility for the 
     archival depository.
       ``(ii) The President whose archives are contained in the 
     depository no longer holds the Office of President and a 
     period of four years has expired (beginning on the date the 
     President left the Office).
       ``(3) In this subsection:
       ``(A) The term `Presidential library fundraising 
     organization' means an organization that is established for 
     the purpose of raising funds for creating, maintaining, 
     expanding, or conducting activities at--
       ``(i) a Presidential archival depository; or
       ``(ii) any facilities relating to a Presidential archival 
     depository.
       ``(B) The term `information' means the following:
       ``(i) The amount or value of each contribution made by a 
     contributor referred to in paragraph (1) in the quarter 
     covered by the submission.
       ``(ii) The source of each such contribution, and the 
     address of the entity or individual that is the source of the 
     contribution.
       ``(iii) If the source of such a contribution is an 
     individual, the occupation of the individual.
       ``(iv) The date of each such contribution.
       ``(4) The Archivist shall make available to the public 
     through the Internet (or a successor technology readily 
     available to the public) as soon as is practicable after each 
     quarterly filing any information that is submitted under 
     paragraph (1). The information shall be made available 
     without a fee or other access charge, in a searchable, 
     sortable, and downloadable database.
       ``(5)(A) It shall be unlawful for any person who makes a 
     contribution described in paragraph (1) to knowingly and 
     willfully submit false material information or omit material 
     information with respect to the contribution to an 
     organization described in such paragraph.
       ``(B) The penalties described in section 1001 of title 18, 
     United States Code, shall apply with respect to a violation 
     of subparagraph (A) in the same manner as a violation 
     described in such section.
       ``(6)(A) It shall be unlawful for any Presidential library 
     fundraising organization to knowingly and willfully submit 
     false material information or omit material information under 
     paragraph (1).
       ``(B) The penalties described in section 1001 of title 18, 
     United States Code, shall apply with respect to a violation 
     of subparagraph (A) in the same manner as a violation 
     described in such section.
       ``(7)(A) It shall be unlawful for a person to knowingly and 
     willfully--
       ``(i) make a contribution described in paragraph (1) in the 
     name of another person;
       ``(ii) permit his or her name to be used to effect a 
     contribution described in paragraph (1); or
       ``(iii) accept a contribution described in paragraph (1) 
     that is made by one person in the name of another person.
       ``(B) The penalties set forth in section 309(d) of the 
     Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 437g(d)) 
     shall apply to a violation of subparagraph (A) in the same 
     manner as if such violation were a violation of section 
     316(b)(3) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(3)).
       ``(8) The Archivist shall promulgate regulations for the 
     purpose of carrying out this subsection.''.
       (b) Applicability.--Section 2112(h) of title 44, United 
     States Code (as added by subsection (a))--
       (1) shall apply to an organization established for the 
     purpose of raising funds for creating, maintaining, 
     expanding, or conducting activities at a Presidential 
     archival depository or any facilities relating to a 
     Presidential archival depository before, on or after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act; and
       (2) shall only apply with respect to contributions (whether 
     monetary or in-kind) made after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from

[[Page 6337]]

Connecticut (Mr. Murphy) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H.R. 1254.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as I walked into the Capitol today, it was sunny 
outside, and one of the benefits of coming from Connecticut about 100 
or so miles south a few days a week is, you might get a few sunnier 
days this time of year. And it is important, I think, on this day that 
there is some sunlight outside because beginning with the bill before 
us today, and following with pieces of legislation to come, we are 
going to start once again to open up this government to the people of 
this country. There is a sense, I think, over time that too much in 
Washington, D.C., gets done in back rooms and not enough gets done in 
the open daylight.
  Today, we begin to open, again, this government to the people of this 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 1254, the 
Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2007, and I am grateful to 
do so through the benefit of work done before by Chairman Waxman, 
Congressman Emanuel, by Mr. Clay, and on the other side of the aisle, 
in particular, Mr. Platts and Mr. Duncan.
  The legislation that they have worked on that is before us today is 
part of a larger effort by Congress to restore that honesty and 
accountability in the Federal Government. Simply put, this legislation 
would shine sunlight on donations to Presidential libraries.
  Mr. Speaker, the Presidential library system was created by Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt had an idea to create a repository to house 
his Presidential papers for the benefit of future generations of 
Americans; you could call it yet another successful New Deal program.
  His idea was to raise private funds for the construction of a library 
facility, and then he turned the facility and his papers over to the 
Federal Government for operation by the National Archives. This model 
is still followed to this day.
  But, like many things, Presidential libraries keep getting more 
expensive. They have become libraries in concept much more than in 
practice. They often include various facilities in addition to a 
repository, such as museums, conference centers, or classrooms.
  The George H.W. Bush Library was reported to cost more than $80 
million to build. The Clinton library and museum cost about $165 
million to build. News reports have indicated that the fund-raising 
goal for President Bush's library and think tank in Texas is $500 
million. One can only imagine how much his successor will have to 
raise.
  The problem is that as these libraries continue to grow in size and 
scope, Presidential foundations need to raise more money to build them, 
and many of these organizations do so by selling access to the 
President while he is still in office while his power and celebrity are 
the strongest.
  Under current law, there is no requirement to disclose the names of 
the donors and the amounts that they have donated, and there is no 
limit on the amount that can be donated. You don't need to be a 
political scientist to see the potential for abuse.
  Today's bill simply requires that fund-raising organizations disclose 
information about their donors to Congress and the National Archives 
during the period of that most intense fund-raising, while the 
President is in office, and during the first 4 years after the end of 
his term.
  The legislation before us, H.R. 1254, would require that all 
organizations established for the purpose of raising funds for 
Presidential libraries, or their related facilities, report on a 
quarterly basis all contributions of $200 or more.
  Under the bill, Presidential library fund-raising organizations would 
be required to disclose to Congress and the Archivist the amount and 
date of each contribution, the name of the contributor, and if the 
contributor is an individual, the occupation of the contributor. The 
National Archives would be required to disclose this information 
through a free, searchable, and downloadable database.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a nonpartisan problem, and what we have before 
us today is a nonpartisan solution. This bill does not seek to limit 
the amount a donor can contribute or the amount a foundation can 
solicit. It simply seeks to shed sunlight on the process.
  Many of us came to Congress to bring government out of the back rooms 
and back into the open air. This bill, I believe, is an important step 
in that transformation; and I am honored to be able to stand on the 
work of colleagues who have worked on this issue over the years and to 
be able to present it to this body today.
  Mr. Speaker, similar legislation has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan 
support in the House in the past, and I urge all of my colleagues to 
support this legislation today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, our Nation's Presidential libraries attract millions of 
visitors each year, and serve as an important resource for researchers 
and historians, and provide inspiration for generations.
  Over time, the cost of building and maintaining these facilities has 
risen significantly. Presidential libraries are built with private 
funds, then turned over to the Archivist for operation. An endowment 
covers some of the cost of operating a library, usually met through the 
establishment of a charitable organization. Funding for construction 
and the endowment come from private sources. Under current law, there 
is no requirement to disclose the source of these contributions.
  There is a great deal of interest in enhancing disclosure on both 
sides of the aisle. Under the leadership of the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), a Republican, Congress passed bipartisan 
legislation to require the disclosure of contributions to organizations 
that raise funds for Presidential libraries and related facilities.

                              {time}  1045

  His bill, H.R. 577, from the 107th Congress passed the House with 
strong bipartisan support by a vote of 392-3. When we consider enhanced 
disclosure, it is important to treat everyone equally. We need a 
sensible, even-handed approach to disclosure, one that applies equally 
to Democrats and Republicans.
  The gentleman from Tennessee has had the right approach, one that was 
supported by the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) and many others 
across the aisle. I think it is of utmost importance that we avoid any 
temptation to politicize this important issue.
  An amendment offered in committee would add the reasonable step of 
applying the disclosure steps of this legislation to Presidents elected 
after the enactment of this act. It is my hope that we can take 
politics out of disclosure, which is an important issue.
  I also commend the Chair of our subcommittee, Mr. Clay, for his 
leadership on our subcommittee and in this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the distinguished chairman of 
the Government Oversight and Reform Committee.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for 
yielding to me and for managing this legislation. It will be the first 
of a number of bills that we think are important for openness, 
transparency, accountability and sunshine in government.
  This particular legislation has strong bipartisan support. The 
gentleman

[[Page 6338]]

from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) introduced it originally several years ago, 
and we are building on his proposal. It is a wise proposal because it 
would provide for disclosure of contributions that are made for 
Presidential libraries.
  There is nothing wrong with contributing to Presidential libraries, 
but at the present time contributions to Presidential libraries can be 
of any amount, from my source, and they need not be disclosed. This is 
a loophole that calls for abuse. Whether it is real or perceived, we 
should not have special interest groups making contributions to a 
Presidential library with the expectation that they may receive 
something in return. We should not allow foreign governments even to 
contribute to Presidential libraries.
  This legislation would require disclosure of contributions that are 
made to Presidential libraries and their affiliates.
  It is interesting to see that in recent years Presidential libraries 
and their affiliated institutions have grown and become increasingly 
expensive. It cost more than $80 million, although I even think that is 
a lot of money, but that was what it cost to build the George H.W. Bush 
Library. President Clinton went and doubled that amount, and it took 
$165 million to build his library. There are recent reports suggesting 
that the projected fund-raising target for this President Bush's target 
library is $500 million.
  I think that we ought to have disclosure, as do my colleagues on the 
other side of the aisle. It is time for openness and sunshine in the 
area of these contributions, and I strongly support it.
  I want to commend all of the people who have been involved in this 
legislation, the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Clay; the ranking 
member, Mr. Turner, and all of those involved.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my 
distinguished colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the gentleman from 
Ohio for yielding me this time and for his work on this legislation and 
his kind comments from a few minutes ago, and I want to thank the 
gentleman from Connecticut who is managing the bill today. Especially I 
want to thank Chairman Waxman because this bill, while it has been 
mentioned that we passed this once before in an earlier Congress, it 
would not be on the floor today if it were not for the support of 
Chairman Waxman, and I do appreciate that very much.
  As has already been mentioned, I introduced this bill several years 
ago, and in fact it was the 106th Congress when I first introduced this 
because I learned that some foreign governments from the Middle East 
were making very large contributions to the proposed library for 
President Clinton, and I was concerned that could lead to undue 
influence on the part of not only foreign governments but perhaps 
others.
  Many months later after I introduced this bill, I learned that Marc 
Rich's ex-wife, and one of his closest friends, had made very large 
contributions to the Clinton library, and then President Clinton, on 
his last day in office, granted a pardon to Mr. Rich who had fled the 
country after evading $40 million in income taxes.
  I can tell you this, in my mind, is not a partisan bill. I introduced 
this under a Democratic President. I reintroduced it in the 107th 
Congress under a Republican President. As has been noted by the 
gentleman from Ohio, this bill passed the House by a vote of 392-3. 
There was not enough interest in the Senate at that time, and so we are 
back here today to try to pass this bill this time to bring as, has 
already been said, some openness, some transparency, to shed some light 
on these contributions and on what would be a real potential for abuse 
under either a Democratic or Republican President in the future.
  As Chairman Waxman and others have said, the price tag on these 
Presidential libraries has escalated just in a few years' time from $80 
million to $500 million projected for this President's library, and no 
telling where those libraries might go in the future in regard to 
costs.
  This bill does not prohibit any contributions. It allows even very, 
very large contributions. All it does is require reporting, quarterly 
reporting.
  My original bill has been made stronger by the suggestions, by the 
actions by Chairman Waxman, and I support this bill. I think it is a 
good government bill, and I think it is one that all of our colleagues 
can be proud in supporting. It will certainly help to prevent some real 
serious potentials for abuse in the years ahead if we pass this 
legislation.
  So I appreciate the support of everyone who has spoken here today, 
and I urge the support of all of my colleagues.
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the distinguished chairman of the 
subcommittee.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for 
yielding and managing this bill. I want to also thank the gentleman 
from Tennessee for his leadership on this subject. I rise in strong 
support of H.R. 1254 and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it.
  Mr. Speaker, Federal election laws limit the amount a single source 
can give to a political campaign. It requires that donations and donor 
information must be disclosed to the public. These requirements help to 
preserve the integrity of our democratic system by ensuring that 
campaign donors do not exercise undue influence over elected policy-
makers.
  Similar requirements do not apply to Presidential library fund-
raising campaigns, and this creates the potential for large donors to 
exert or appear to exert improper influence over a sitting President.
  The fact that private foundations are required to raise money to 
build and maintain Presidential libraries lowers the burden on 
taxpayers, but it also increases the incentive for sitting Presidents 
to pursue aggressive fund-raising for libraries that have become more 
and more expensive over the years.
  Under H.R. 1254, the Presidential Library Foundation would be 
required to report on a quarterly basis all donations of $200 or more. 
This requirement would apply to donations made to the foundation during 
the time that the President is in office and during the period before 
the Archives agrees to use the land or facility.
  In addition, the proposal calls on the Archivist to make all reports 
available to the public online through a searchable and downloadable 
database.
  In 2000, during the last days of the Clinton Presidency, the House 
passed similar legislation by an overwhelming bipartisan vote. A 
similar provision was included in legislation introduced last year by 
then-Minority Leader Pelosi but it did not move.
  Mr. Speaker, the time has passed for the Congress and the President 
to enact these requirements into law. This is not a partisan issue. It 
is an issue of concern to all Americans who care about government, 
integrity and transparency.
  I commend Mr. Waxman, my fellow original cosponsors, Mr. Duncan, Mr. 
Platts and Mr. Emanuel, for their leadership on this issue and urge all 
of my colleagues to support this important bipartisan bill.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers at this moment and 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my 
friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from 
Connecticut and colleagues from California and Missouri and my other 
colleagues for their leadership on this legislation.
  It is an important part of this legislation, like the other 
legislation we are doing on whistleblowers and protection for 
whistleblowers, as well as the no-bid contracts.
  If you look at the Presidential library and the other two pieces of 
legislation, they all have a common meaning, to ensure that the public 
trust is protected from being bent for the private interest.

[[Page 6339]]

  What we mean here is that, in making sure in the period of time in 
which a President of the United States is raising money for their 
library, that at no time will their actions, or public actions, be 
influenced by those who are willing to support their library. In the 
same way that we are trying to make sure later this week when we vote 
on the no-bid contracts, that in no way should those contracts be 
renewed automatically for those who have gotten their business, no-bid 
contracts, and somehow had the influence to get that legislation, and 
the whistleblower legislation, all attempted to protect the public 
trust.
  President Bush plans on raising about $500 million for his 
Presidential library. President Clinton's library has cost about $165 
million, and President Bush's, the 41st President, library cost 
approximately $80 million, slightly more than that, and there are no 
questions asked about where the money comes from.
  We do not know who is raising these funds, who is donating them, and 
if the donors are looking for any other favors in return. This process 
is overdue for sunlight, and we are reforming that practice here today.
  I am proud to have worked with Congressman Waxman, Congressman Clay, 
Congressman Platts, and Congressman Duncan in drafting this bill, which 
would require the disclosure of any contribution of $200 and above for 
a Presidential library. This information will be available online so 
that every American can see who is sending money to the Oval Office.
  Mr. Speaker, change is good. Last November, the American people voted 
for change and that is exactly what we are doing this week and this 
year. We are changing the way business is done in Washington and 
restoring integrity to government.
  In the first weeks, when we were here, we initiated change on banning 
gifts, banning meals by lobbyists, making sure earmarks had reform, and 
this is part of that step-by-step process. You will not change the ways 
of Washington overnight, but you must have a dedicated step-by-step 
process to bring reform to the way business is done in Washington. This 
is an important step, as will be the whistleblower protection we take 
on today and vote on, and the no-bid contracts for those who are trying 
to enact contracting reform in the areas of Iraq, Katrina and other 
places.
  As you just saw last week, the taxpayers are getting back only 40 
cents on the dollar for the trailers they built for the protection of 
hurricane victims because we did not use it. We have got to reform the 
way Washington does work, and this is an important piece of legislation 
in doing that as part of our overall process.
  I thank all my colleagues for their work on this legislation.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any other speakers for the 
moment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1100

  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself so much time 
as I may consume.
  I want to thank both sides of the aisle, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Waxman and 
Mr. Clay, who have done such great work on this issue. They have 
constructed a bill which will allow the development of these facilities 
to move forward in an expeditious manner, but done so in a way that 
gives people faith in that process.
  So much of our ability to build and rebuild faith in this government 
is connected to whether or not people believe that things we do here 
are done in the open light of day. Today is going to be a very good day 
to restore part of people's faith in this government, and this bill is 
an important first step.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of the public's right to know. I rise in support of H.R. 1254, the 
``Presidential Library Donations Reform Act of 2007,'' which requires 
the disclosure of donors to presidential libraries.
  Mr. Speaker, Presidential libraries are built using private funds 
raised by an organization or foundation working on behalf of the 
President. It costs a lot of money to construct and endow a 
Presidential library. The first Presidential library, housing the 
papers of Franklin D. Roosevelt, cost less than $400,000 to build, 
about $5 million adjusted for inflation. But since that time, 
Presidential libraries have grown more and more ambitious and costly. 
The $26 million Carter library was succeeded by the $57 million Reagan 
library, followed in turn by the $83 million library complex for former 
President George H.W. Bush, and the $165 million Clinton library 
complex. George W. Bush's Presidential library complex may cost as much 
as $500 million.
  To erect these major complexes is going to take more than the $25 to 
$50 donations that built Harry Truman's modest Presidential library. 
Donations from individual donors can and have amounted to several 
million dollars. Under current law, Presidents may raise unlimited 
funds for their libraries while in office, which raises concerns about 
conflicts of interest, corruption or the appearance of corruption. This 
is because donations for the Presidential library can be unlimited in 
size but are not required to be disclosed.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1254 greatly enhances the public's access to 
information because it requires that contribution information be made 
available in a timely manner on the Internet in a searchable, sortable, 
downloadable database, without any fee or access charges. This proposal 
would ensure, for the first time, the public knows the source of 
contributions to the Presidential libraries intended to serve them.
  Typically, fundraising to construct a Presidential library is done 
through a nonprofit foundation or group, which is free to seek 
donations from corporations, individuals, even foreign nationals and 
foreign governments. Sitting presidents may be actively involved in 
soliciting these contributions. And there is no limit on the size of 
the donations, and no requirement that they be disclosed.
  Mr. Speaker, a Presidential library complex has become one of the 
vehicles for Presidents to shape and perpetuate their legacy. They also 
provide a platform for Presidents to continue work on issues they care 
about. But if sitting Presidents are raising money in undisclosed, 
unlimited amounts for projects in which they are personally invested, 
wealthy special interests have unprecedented opportunities to seek 
access and influence at the White House and evade all public scrutiny. 
At the very least, the public deserves to know the amount of donations, 
the names, addresses and occupations of the donors, and the dates 
donations were made.
  H.R. 1254 requires that all organizations established for the purpose 
of raising funds for Presidential libraries or their related facilities 
report on a quarterly basis all contributions of $200 or more.
  Under H.R. 1254, organizations fundraising for Presidential libraries 
would be required to disclose their donations while the President is in 
office and during the period before the Federal government has taken 
possession of the library. The bill sets a minimum reporting period of 
4 years after the end of a President's term.
  The bill injects sunshine in government by making public information 
about donations to presidential libraries made during the term of the 
president in question. Under the bill, presidential library fundraising 
organizations would be required to disclose to Congress and the 
Archivist the amount and date of each contribution, the name of the 
contributor, and if the contributor is an individual, the occupation of 
the contributor. As noted previously, the National Archives would be 
required to make the information available to the public through a 
free, searchable, and downloadable database on the Internet.
  For all of these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 1254. 
As Justice Brandeis famously observed, ``sunshine is the best 
disinfectant.'' I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
important and necessary legislation.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker our Nation's Presidential 
libraries are a priceless resource for researchers, historians, and the 
public. They serve as legacies to our Presidents, repositories of 
history, and a source of tremendous pride for local communities. At the 
same time, they have become elaborate institutions, housing official 
papers, museums, classrooms, conference facilities, and even gift 
shops.
  With this expansion, however, come additional costs. As the costs 
increase, so does the pressure to raise private funds. But under 
current law, those contributions do not need to be disclosed.
  The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Duncan, worked to close this 
loophole. He has been a leader on this issue, drafting and moving 
legislation to an overwhelming House vote.
  But we should keep politics out of this. The bill before us applies 
to the current President and future Presidents. I offered an amendment 
in Committee to make this law effective for the

[[Page 6340]]

next elected President. I hope we again will resist inserting politics 
into a bill the House passed by a vote of 392 to 3.
  With this legislation we are recognizing the perception of 
impropriety that contributions to a presidential library can raise. We 
don't need to re-open old wounds or begin inflicting new ones today. 
Presidents leave their mark on our rich history, and those giving to 
presidential libraries should be proud to have their donations publicly 
disclosed.
  Mr. Speaker, our goal should be a unanimous vote on the House floor--
anything less is a step back. I know my colleagues will agree: The cost 
of building presidential libraries: millions. The value of disclosing 
contributions to those libraries: priceless.
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate, again, Mr. Duncan of 
Tennessee, and urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 1254.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1254.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. 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 question will 
be postponed.

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