Lynn N. Rivers: “if there is any belief that our constituents cling to with stubborn resolve, it is that each of us have come here to…”

“if there is any belief that our constituents cling to with stubborn resolve, it is that each of us have come here to either enrich ourselves financially or advance ourselves politically. Frankly, in the last few days we have done very little to acquit ourselves of any of these charges. We have a continuing refusal to bring campaign finance reform to the floor of the House despite the fact that the public is clamoring for such a debate and such change. We will soon debate a bill on the floor that carves out a whole new category of citizenship just for Members of Congress. And then we have the pay raise, a pay raise that was disguised in a bill by parliamentary sleight of hand. And last night when an attempt was made to make in order a revisitation of that pay raise, it was ruled out of order by the Committee on Rules and described in today's paper as frivolous. Whatever good will this body has built up over the past few months given our bipartisan budget decision and other proposals that the public supports, it is being eroded quickly. Benjamin Disraeli, when he came into the government in Britain, said, "I was told that the privileged and the people form two nations." That is interesting, because when I got involved in government in the United States, I was told just the opposite. But it appears that our actions of the last few days suggest there are, in fact, the privileged and the people. That needs to change. This is the people's House.”