Pat Meehan

But what the gentleman is asking us to do is pass an amendment where if a comma is unconstitutional, a word, a phrase, the whole bill is gone. It is a poison pill to campaign finance reform.

What do we do about the fact that somebody could offer an amendment that is clearly unconstitutional? If we were to pass this amendment and somebody down the road offers an amendment that is clearly unconstitutional, our bill is dead then.

The point I also was going to make on severability is, if this amendment were to pass, with all the amendments that can be offered, how easy it would be for the other side to simply offer and pass a clearly patently unconstitutional…

I have worked with Republican and Democratic Members over the last 5 years working to find a way to find bipartisan campaign finance reform, to level the playing field and treat both Democrats and Republicans fairly. ... But what did the…

Every public interest group that has been fighting for reform over the last decade have worked with a bipartisan group to put real reform before the table. Members of the press, New York Times, the Washington Post, every credible editorial…

The purpose is good. We ought to have a bipartisan, cooperative, a full ``aye'' vote for the Meehan amendment. I strongly support it.

I want to thank the 20 Republicans who signed on to the bipartisan bill and thank all of the Democrats who signed on to the bipartisan bill, thank the thousands of people all over America who have been calling up for campaign finance…

I just ask the question, why do you think big tobacco decided to stop contributing more to Democrats and retool their efforts contributing to Republicans after Newt Gingrich and the Republicans took over?

The truth was the bill in the 103d Congress had bipartisan support, it died in a Republican filibuster, and never got to the President. Clearly President Clinton would have signed that bill had it gotten there on time.

Neither part have had the audacity to submit to the Congress a bill that increases limits.

Since the beginning, Republican leadership has been wedded to the special-interests corporate contributions that drive their agenda. That is what they have been wedded, protecting big tobacco, sheltering corporate subsidies, promoting…

Just for the record, for my friend the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] I have never taken any political action committee money. Maybe you should try it.

It is very, very obvious why we are here. These guys have taken millions and millions of dollars from special interest PAC's. Mr. Speaker, the whole country is watching this debate. The whole country is watching it. Seventy percent of the…

We should not have to have this debate, because fighting crime is a bipartisan issue; it is not an issue that should be pitting Democrats against Republicans or having Republicans concerned because President Clinton got too much credit in…

When was the last time the gentleman saw a program where you could apply for a grant on one sheet, anyone could fill it out, any police department? Not only that, when is the last time the gentleman saw a Federal program produce results so…

The 23 percent figure that you mentioned is consistent with the figures here that are up in the first year of community policing in the city of Lowell. For example, burglaries, down 34 percent; residential burglaries, down 32 percent…

I challenge Members of Congress to take some time during their recess to go into a district attorney's office and volunteer, whether it be volunteer to work with attorneys on cases, whether it be to volunteer with victim witness advocates…