Kendrick Meek: “You know why it is breaking down, because special interests have been allowed to infiltrate the U.S. House of…”

“You know why it is breaking down, because special interests have been allowed to infiltrate the U.S. House of Representatives. The K Street Project until denounced a few months ago was alive and well in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, you know it. I know it. The majority and minority know it. Articles were written, you have to be a part of the K Street Project or you are out of it. There was one Member of this House who said if they are not on the list as being a part of the K Street Project that is contributing to make sure that Republicans stay in the majority here in the House, and that also means if they did not hire staffers or ex-staffers that Republican leadership Members asked them to hire, they were not going to have access. I am going to read this Washington Post article, Wednesday, November 16, 2005, front page: White House documents show executives from big oils companies met with the Vice President's energy task force in 2001. Well, let us look at the chart. What happened in 2002 after they met? Wow, $34 billion in profits. ``Something long expected by environmentalists but denied as recent as last week by industry officials testifying before Congress.…”