Political Quotes

“our decision to allow smoking in this Chamber, the Speaker's lobby and the cloakrooms impacts not just ourselves but hundreds of employees, many of whom are here on a regular basis. Reports from our employees that I have received indicate they suffer extreme discomfort in some cases, do not like it, but feel uncomfortable about speaking out. We should care as much for our employees as for other Federal workers who do get a smoke-free environment. They deserve it. Executive Order 13058 protects employees of Federal agencies from tobacco in the workplace. Agencies must implement the smoking ban by August 9, 1998. There has been much talk in this Chamber about playing by the same rules as everybody else. Unfortunately, there is rather a glaring gap between the rhetoric and action when it comes to providing a smoke-free workplace for our employees. It is time for the House to catch up with the rest of America and move to protect the health of our employees. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 247.”