Mark Kirk: “Reclaiming my time. The gentlewoman actually has amended the legislation within the last half hour to add a fifth charge…”

“Reclaiming my time. The gentlewoman actually has amended the legislation within the last half hour to add a fifth charge of subornation of perjury. But this bill falls far short of its potential. In 1996, the Congress is on record with the vote of Congresswoman Pelosi and Congressman Hastert of supporting legislation with 21 public integrity felonies, not the 5 under the legislation before us. We are missing a key element in this legislation which falls far short of our potential for reform. We know under current law that Rostenkowski collects after mail fraud, Traficant collects after corruption, Cunningham collects after bribery, and Ney collects after conspiracy. But the key story tonight is what is missing in this legislation. Our House leadership presented a bill which until an hour ago would have exempted the 110th Congress from any of these reforms. Now they are going to go back with the original intention of the bill with the new amendment that the Congresswoman added. But this list of felonies fails to include income tax evasion. I would ask her, why didn't you add income tax evasion to the list of felonies under this bill?”