James Davis: “we are voting here today on a rule. Let us be clear what that rule does. That rule allows over 100 amendments that are…”

“we are voting here today on a rule. Let us be clear what that rule does. That rule allows over 100 amendments that are nongermane, which means unrelated to the bills we are about to take up. This is a sham. It is an attempt to defeat the real proposals that are before this House. We have already adopted a rule that allows germane amendments, that means amendments related to the bill, to come up in an unlimited number. So why should we be allowing unrelated amendments now to come up? And what exactly are the merits that are not being addressed here today in substance, but being addressed in an attempt that drown it in extra amendments? A ban on soft money, those unlimited sums of money that are given both to the Democratic and Republican Party that should cease and which cannot be, in my judgment, rationally defended on the floor of this House. Secondly, outside interest groups running political ads in congressional districts around the country. Anonymous political advertising. Groups that have maintained that the courts say they have a right to do anonymous political ads. Ridiculous. These are the merits of the issues. This is what we need to debate. We do not need to adopt a rule that allows unrelated issues exceeding 100 in number to come up and cloud the facts. Mr. Speaker, we should get to the facts, get to the merits. Ban soft money.”