[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
[July 22, 1995]
[Pages 1131-1132]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
July 22, 1995

    Good morning. Over a month ago, Speaker Newt Gingrich and I met with 
a group of senior citizens in Claremont, New Hampshire. That sunlit 
event had a special spirit. We showed that the great debate now 
occurring in our country can and should be conducted with civility and a 
sense of common ground. Many Americans of both parties have told me 
since then that this is exactly the way they want their leaders to work 
together. And that's what I'm committed to doing.
    Perhaps the most visible example of that spirit of New Hampshire 
came when the Speaker and I shook hands on the question of political 
reform, something that has divided the two parties and the Congress and 
the country for too long. The first question we answered was from a 
retired steelworker named Frank McConnell. He said that politics had 
become polluted by special interests and that too often the voice of the 
people was shut out. He said that bickering between the parties had 
blocked reform for too long, and he proposed that we create a blue-
ribbon, bipartisan commission to write reforms to curb the power of 
special interests. There, in front of the entire country, the Speaker 
and I agreed to create this commission.
    A bipartisan commission could cut the knot that is strangling 
change. This panel would follow the approach that has worked on other 
critical issues. It would be comprised of distinguished citizens and 
would recommend broad changes in the rules which cover lobbyists and in 
how we finance political campaigns. Most important of all, the Congress 
would have to vote within a strict deadline, up or down, on the package 
as a whole, no loopholes, no amendments.
    I'm happy to report that in addition to myself and Speaker Gingrich, 
this very idea has been strongly endorsed for some time by Senate 
majority leader Bob Dole, who just last February said again that this 
was the way we ought to approach this question.
    It's clearer than ever that we need political reform. The American 
people believe their political system is too influenced by narrow 
interests, that our Government serves the powerful but not hard-working 
families. Even before the '94 elections, the special interests prevented 
passage of both campaign finance reform and lobby reform legislation 
that I had strongly asked the Congress to pass. When a minority in the 
Senate killed lobbying reform in 1994, lobbyists were standing right 
outside the Senate chamber cheering.
    Since the New Congress came in, I'm sad to say, it's gotten worse, 
for even more power has been given to the lobbyists. Now this new 
majority lets lobbyists for polluters write legislation rolling back 
environmental and public health protections. They've brought them in to 
explain the legislation. They even gave them a room off the House floor 
to write the amendments and the statements the Members would have to 
give explaining the bills that the lobbyists had written for them.
    Since things have gotten in this state, it was a real moment of hope 
when the Speaker and I shook hands on reform in New Hampshire. Just 5 
days later, I sent Speaker Gingrich a letter laying out in detail my 
ideas for how to move forward. Now, 5 weeks later, I must say

[[Page 1132]]

I'm very disappointed by what has happened since or, more accurately, 
what hasn't happened. The Speaker announced that he would send me his 
proposal, but he never has.
    I think the people of this country want us to move forward with 
political reform. Speaker Gingrich and I shook hands on it. We have an 
obligation to get this done and not walk away. If we're going to restore 
a spirit of civility to American politics, a handshake has to mean in 
1995 what it meant when I was growing up: We have to be as good as our 
word.
    Today, to move this process forward, I'm announcing that two 
distinguished Americans have agreed to work with me to get the 
commission idea underway. They're the kind of people I will appoint as 
its members. John Gardner's name is synonymous with integrity. He's a 
Republican Cabinet Secretary to a Democratic President, the founder of 
the citizens' lobby Common Cause, a wise and effective man. Doris Kearns 
Goodwin is a political scientist and a Pulitzer Prize winning author. 
She understands through her knowledge of history and today's political 
situation how politics affects the lives of ordinary people.
    I have asked John Gardner and Doris Kearns Goodwin to meet with 
Speaker Gingrich as soon as possible and the other congressional 
leaders, to get them going on this idea so that we can make this 
commission a reality and keep our commitment to the Frank McConnells and 
all the other Americans who want us to improve the way our political 
system works.
    John Gardner and Doris Kearns Goodwin will help us to get this 
movement going. And now I call on Speaker Gingrich and the other 
congressional leaders to come forward and do their part. The Speaker and 
I made a deal, and it's time to keep it. There's no excuse for further 
delay.
    We already have signs of bipartisan agreement. On Monday, the Senate 
begins to debate on legislation to require lobbyists to disclose who 
they are, what they're paid, and what bills they're trying to influence. 
And the Senate will vote on legislation to ban lobbyists from providing 
lawmakers meals or gifts or travel. If a judge took a paid vacation from 
a lawyer in his courtroom, he'd be disbarred. But if a lobbyist pays for 
a trip to a sunny climate, right now it's perfectly legal. And it 
happens all the time.
    Congress should send me the strongest possible ban on lobbyist 
gifts, such as the bill introduced by Democratic Senators Carl Levin and 
Paul Wellstone and Republican Senator Bill Cohen. Congress should not 
send me a bill that's more loophole than law. I hope the action I'm 
taking today will help lead to real political reform. We have to do 
everything we can to show the American people that their Government 
works for them and not the special interests.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the 
White House.