Political Quotes

“I rise this afternoon to comment on the sad situation affecting the House Historian's Office. In December, around Christmas-time, I read with dismay that the House Historian would be disbanded as another so-called cost-saving measure. But lo and behold, on December 30, it was stated by the Speaker that the office would, in fact, remain. Unfortunately he neglected to disclose that he had already selected the person, a highly partisan supporter of his, who had actually already moved into a suburban Washington townhouse. Not only do we have a highly partisan Historian, we are also going to have her husband as a paid chronicler. Perhaps there is another book deal in the works, but the most outrageous aspect of this whole situation is the fact that this Historian opposes a disclosure. Most historians want more information to broaden history. This Historian says she favors secret side contributions and opposes our current Federal election disclosure laws in order to protect GOPC, to protect large contributors who want to contribute behind closed doors. The Republicans have gone out of their way to say, we are not going to have business as usual. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, it appears, based on the evidence of the Historian's Office, that we are not going to have business as usual. We are going to have business that is worse.”