Porter Goss: “It has long been known that Congress has a bad habit of passing laws without understanding the full impact they have on…”

“It has long been known that Congress has a bad habit of passing laws without understanding the full impact they have on the American public--then it exempts itself from those same laws. In the 102d and 103d Congresses, I introduced a resolution to eliminate the special treatment that this institution has granted itself. Last Congress, I voted in favor of the Congressional Accountability Act which the House passed--but the Senate failed to approve. During the final hours before adjournment of the 103d Congress, the House passed a watered-down version of the compliance bill as an amendment to the rules of the House. Although I am a strong advocate of congressional compliance, I felt compelled to vote against that weak-kneed resolution--which, to me, was nothing more than status quo dressed up to look like reform. Today we have an opportunity to move forward with real reform. I support S. 2, the Congressional Accountability Act, and I intend to vote for it. Congress is not, and should not be, above the law. It is time to move this institution into the real world of the laws that we expect the private sector to abide by.”