Political Quotes

“I think the Senator from Texas has made a valuable contribution to this debate. As I indicated last evening, the committee's substitute for the original Lautenberg-Wellstone amendment is not a perfect product. It has certain ambiguities which need to be clarified, and that is the purpose of having this debate. I believe the Senator from Texas is absolutely correct in suggesting that legal defense funds ought to be continued. I also believe that Senator Levin is correct in pointing out that the one restriction should be a ban on lobbyists contributing to legal defense funds for the reason that it creates a perception that lobbyists are trying to gain influence in helping that particular individual out of his or her legal difficulties. Now, I think it is unclear from the language of the Levin proposal whether or not legal defense funds could in fact receive contributions from nonlobbyists up to the current amount. That question ought to be clarified at some point. But I would like to make a broader point here today. I think there is a danger attempting to equate ourselves either with the average citizen or with the average executive branch member. This is a different institution. Those in the executive branch do not have to participate in the same types of activities that we do. Our offices are flooded day after day with our constituents.”