Sam Gibbons: “first I would like to join in my colleagues in the previous speaker's comments about the accolades and plaudits of my…”

“first I would like to join in my colleagues in the previous speaker's comments about the accolades and plaudits of my colleagues on this bipartisan freshman task force, the gentleman from Maine [Mr. Allen], of course, and the gentleman from Arkansas [Mr. Hutchinson] and the fine work and leadership that they demonstrated in this process. In fact I was very honored to be a part of what I think is a very historic freshman task force in an effort to reform campaign finances in our country. Yes, the subject was controversial. As a freshman for the first time, we all have recent and very personal encounters with the campaign finance laws of this Nation. To augment our experience, we had several hearings with groups and individuals with a variety of expertise in this area. It was very constructive for myself personally and for the rest of the Members. It became an environment in which we got to know not just the other Members of the other party and Members in our own class, but we got to know the subject matter a great deal and a lot better than we had before we entered. Almost all of us agreed to one conclusion after this, that the system is broken.”