Harry Johnston: “Mr. Speaker, on this floor, the spoken word is just as indelible as…”

On the recordJanuary 31, 1995

Mr. Speaker, on this floor, the spoken word is just as indelible as the written word. A Member may defame anyone he chooses--the President of the United States, the Speaker of the House, the minority leader--with total impunity. The offending party may have his words stricken and be prohibited from speaking for 24 hours. But the punishment is not commensurate with the crime, particularly when the words are perpetuated on C-Span and the nightly three major networks. Mr. Speaker, I strongly recommend the majority party seriously consider amending its rules to have a more severe expedited penalty for the sake of civility and also for the sake of this body, particularly when abusive language can be repeated in lieu of an apology.

Said by

Harry Johnston

Democratic · Florida

Source

govinfo.gov

Editor's note · Context

Addressing the need for stricter penalties for defamation in Congressional speech.

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Harry Johnston: “Mr. Speaker, on this floor, the spoken word is just as indelible as the written word. A Member may defame anyone he…”

Editor's note · Context