[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4841]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      CAMERAS IN THE SUPREME COURT

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court of the United States 
heard the historical case of United States v. Texas, on Monday, 
regarding executive overreach.
  People all over the country are interested in this case, but only a 
handful of spectators could see the public proceedings. The courtroom 
is small, and seating is limited. If the public has the right to be 
present in the courtroom of the Supreme Court, the public should be 
allowed to view the proceedings in their entirety on television or 
through live streaming.
  Imagine the benefit to law school students to see actual proceedings 
of the Supreme Court. Also, the public is concerned and wants to know 
what happens behind those closed doors. It is time to educate the world 
about what actually occurs in the most important court in the world--
the United States Supreme Court.
  I was one of the first judges in Texas to allow cameras in the 
courtroom. All the naysayers said it wouldn't work, but it did. It was 
a benefit to all. Let the world know what happens in the Supreme Court. 
Allow these cameras.
  Currently, Representative Connolly from Virginia and I are 
cosponsoring a bill to do exactly this. It is better to show all of the 
proceedings to the public than to rely on a 30-second sound bite from a 
news reporter on television during the 5 o'clock news.
  And that is just the way it is.

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