Christopher Shays

I ultimately believe this should be a commission of people outside Congress and outside working for the administration. It needs to be people totally independent; people like a Sam Nunn or a Warren Rudman, or some others of that status…

I rise in opposition to the Kildee-Hayworth amendment and in support of establishing a commission to examine the Federal Government's policy towards Native Americans. Our Nation has a responsibility to Native Americans. This commission…

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4755, introduced by our distinguished colleague from the State of Ohio (Mr. Hobson), designates a post office in Lancaster, Ohio as the Clarence Miller Post Office Building. Members of the entire House delegation from the…

Mr. Speaker, the invention of modern air conditioning has clearly changed our country. Modern air conditioning fueled the post-war growth of sunbelt cities such as Miami, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Houston. The invention of modern air…

I rise in support of H.R. 4687, the National Construction Safety Team Act. The reason why I think this bill is so well drafted and so well thought out is because of the work of both the chairman and the ranking member, along with the…

Last year, as it has since 1990, the General Accounting Office (GAO) declared that Department of Defense's financial management systems pose a high risk of fraud, waste and mismanagement. To get a better understanding of how the…

When I was elected in 1987, I had one big desire: to get our country's financial house in order and to balance the Federal budget. That was my desire. I did not feel I really had an opportunity to really have an impact on that until John…

Last Thursday, three men were arrested in Easton, Connecticut after being seen videotaping a water reservoir and filtration plant. The good news: A vigilant employee alerted local police. City and state emergency response teams were…

I rise in support of H.R. 4737, the Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion Act. The 1996 welfare law was the most significant change in American social policy in a generation. By linking benefits to work, the law introduced…

We have done a tremendous job fixing our system of social welfare, and the reforms have been a tremendous success in my district and across the nation. We did the heavy lifting in 1996 and we will reauthorize those reforms later this year…

I rise in support of reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank. Exports are an extremely vital part of our nation's economic well-being. The Export-Import Bank is a relatively modest investment that promotes U.S. businesses abroad and creates…

Very briefly, I would love to just say, Mr. Speaker, that this basketball team and the teams that Lew Perkins has put together, the athletic director, have brought Connecticut together. I represent a part of Connecticut closer to New York…

My constituents and all of Connecticut congratulate the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies for winning the 2002 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. These Huskies truly deserve the title ``Best in Show.'' In my expert opinion, this is…

I want to commend Chairman Mike Oxley and Chairman Richard Baker for their work on the legislation we are debating. The reforms contained in this accounting bill represent a balanced approach between industry and government oversight and I…

One of the problems when a bill has a name after you, it personalizes the debate and it disguises really what is at issue. I think that the one thing that unites opponents and proponents of campaign finance reform is disclosure. We all…

I rise to address the scope of an exception to the definition of ``electioneering communications'' set out in section 201(3)(B), which include (i) news distributed by broadcast stations that are not owned or controlled by a candidate, (ii)…

I would point out that in conversation with Trevor Potter, he pointed out that he totally disagrees with what was said by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), and the reference to his Website was, in fact, not even his Website. And…

This is a bill that enforces the 1907 law banning corporate treasury money, the 1947 law banning union dues money, and enforces the 1974 reform laws. Now, one of the allegations is that because we cannot use soft money, we cannot use that…

I rise to discuss an issue in the Shays-Meehan bill that has prompted some questions--what fundraising activities may federal candidates and officeholders engage in. These are important and legitimate questions, and I intend here to…

I support this amendment with all my heart. I think the one weakness in our bill is that when you run against someone wealthy, you cannot get the same resources and you are put at a disadvantage, and especially if we are going to take away…

In 1974, the Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1974 provided an exemption to allow political parties to raise soft money to purchase or construct a building. It has existed since 1974. In fact, that was the way soft money kind of entered…

If there was a vehicle that we can satisfy your ambiguity, the ambiguity that you thinks exists, I would be eager to settle this and to adopt it. Eager to.

We are trying to enforce the 1907 law banning corporate treasury money, the 1947 money banning union dues money, and enforce the 1974 law banning unlimited sums of money. That is what our attempt is.

I wish this amendment were not here, as a purest, but I think it is fair. My concern is that it is a good amendment now, that it could be changed over time, but it is fair now. It works now.

I hope this amendment succeeds with all that I can urge. It is not a question of going from the $1,000 to $2,000, it is a question of going from $2 million to $2,000, or a half a million to $2,000, or $200,000 to $2,000. We have gotten…