this has been a great debate over Shays- Meehan, and I am proud to have played a role in advancing the issue to this critical point. I only wish I weren't the only Kentucky Member who fought for this bill. As we prepare to vote on…

I don't know why we are debating this Constitutional Amendment. It was not made in order by the Blue Dog discharge petition, which led to this debate in the first place. I think what's really going on is the Leadership is not dealing in…

I am pleased that the Blue Dog discharge petition had something to do with us getting to this point, and I am pleased we are now beginning to discuss campaign finance reform. I think the debate boils down to a couple of things: Will we ban…

as we all know, the leadership, the Speaker, made a commitment that we are going to vote on this issue in May. We are hearing rumors now that we are not going to vote in May and maybe vote after Memorial Day. We also are hearing rumors…

Back in November, the Republican leadership promised a fair and bipartisan vote on campaign finance reform. This is not a fair, bipartisan vote. This is a cynical fraud being perpetuated on the Congress here tonight. But we have an…

a lot of words have been bandied about, one being hypocrisy, one inconsistency. Let me talk about hypocrisy. This amendment, no matter what the rhetoric is, goes just to the farmer. It does not stop anybody from smoking. It does not…

Mr. Chairman, I probably have a little more unique position or consideration of this amendment than most Members because I am the only tobacco farmer in this House. Let me tell you what this amendment does. I am not going to get into all…

recently, on Wednesday, July 19, a freshman Republican Member of Congress made the following quote in an interview regarding Koresh and the Waco hearings. ``The only law they clearly established,'' talking about Koresh, ``broke that I can…

in 1994, the Federal Government spent less than 2 percent of the Federal budget educating the Nation's children. Now some in Congress are saying on the one hand that American children need to compete with the children of other nations--in…

As we begin to consider the Labor-HHS- Education appropriations bill, I am reminded of the oft-quoted and foreboding statement in the 1983 report ``A Nation at Risk'': If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the…

today what I would like to take the opportunity to discuss is the proposed welfare programs that we have been talking about here in the Capitol and throughout the country over the last several months. The question, I think, is why are we…

for those of us from Kentucky and, I think, throughout the country, the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Natcher] sets a standard for service to this House, as was said by the Speaker. He sets a standard for grace and charm for all of us who…