John Johnston: “It has been said we have not changed the perception of the Congress through all the things we have done, and I think…”

“It has been said we have not changed the perception of the Congress through all the things we have done, and I think that is true. But we must continue to try. I think it is our obligation to keep trying, when public opinion polls come back, as this most recent one, which in response to the question: Which of the following do you think really controls the Federal Government in Washington, 7 percent say the President, 22 percent say the Congress, 50 percent--50 percent--say it is the lobbyists and the special interests. In a democracy, that is not acceptable as a perception of this body. We must act to change it in a reasonable way. Yes, we have to make some distinctions, and this committee bill does make distinctions. The substitute is business as usual. Unless we defeat it, it means that we consider business as usual the acceptable mean for this body.”