Political Quotes

“I rise today and perhaps I should ask for a moment of silence because the vote that was taken to table the privileged resolution from the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) is a sad moment in the House of Representatives. I have the distinct honor and pleasure of serving on the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. The fact that we have had a difficult time in the administration of our mission over the last 18 months is evident to everyone in this Chamber and everyone in this Nation. The privileged resolution would have given this House the opportunity to air the problems in that committee and to attempt to find a solution so that we could move on in our mission of adequate investigation of financial and campaign finance violations of the 1996 election. I think, as a result of our failure to use the debate process on that privileged resolution, we will find that May 14, 1998, by a vote of 223-196, this House has decided not to reform campaign finance but to start the political campaign of 1998.”