Political Quotes

“I want to visit with everyone present for just a few minutes about S. 1, the ethics and lobbying reform bill. We hope to appoint conferees on this important bill today. By doing this today, we would enact this critical legislation that is so important to be done. It is the most significant lobbying ethics reform, I believe, in the history of this country. It makes tremendous reforms--long overdue. It will restore the people's confidence in their elected officials. Last year, Americans rightly got sick and tired about story after story of corruption, the culture of corruption some called it, here in Washington led by Jack Abramoff, who is now in prison; Randy Cunningham, who is now in prison; Bob Ney, who is now in prison; Safavian, the head of Government contracting, led away from his office in handcuffs; Scooter Libby--numerous people who worked for various House Members who were involved in corrupt activities, airplane trips to golf in Scotland and places that are hard to imagine. The American people responded at the polls last November with a clear message that they wanted a new direction, and we, the Democrats, responded by passing the most sweeping ethics and lobbying reform in a generation.”