Bill Delahunt: “we are making a terrible mistake here today by changing the rule in terms of the provision that would simply require no…”

“we are making a terrible mistake here today by changing the rule in terms of the provision that would simply require no action after a 45-day period because, as the earlier speaker immediately preceding me indicated, what we will have done is change a nonpartisan committee that is based on a nonpartisan process into one that provides for a partisan veto over action where the behavior of an individual Member or Members is at question. That, I suggest and submit, is something that this institution will suffer from. There has been much discussion recently regarding this package. It was anticipated that there would be additional provisions that were not submitted today, but let us be clear what is at risk here. It is the confidence of the American people in the integrity of this institution. Perception, as we all know, is reality. And when the American people understand very clearly that we now have a Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in which either side has a veto, it will undermine the confidence of the people in our ethical process. My question to the proponents would be, what is wrong with the current rules? We have operated on them.”