Lloyd Bentsen: “as a new Member, I came to this House committed to enacting reform and restoring the trust of the American people in…”

“as a new Member, I came to this House committed to enacting reform and restoring the trust of the American people in Congress. I am proud that on my first day in the House, we voted to make the Congress abide by the same laws other Americans do. We cut committee staff by one-third. We opened committee meetings to the public. But the job is incomplete, and we risk undermining all that we have already done if we don't move forward with campaign finance reform and lobby reform. You cannot have one without the other. It is time to stop the money chase which perverts the electoral process. It's been a month since the President and the Speaker shook hands over a commission to move these issues forward. The President is ready to act. Why isn't the Speaker? Let's vote on H.R. 1100, which I and others introduced before that meeting in New Hampshire, to form such a commission. The American people want an end to the talk of reform. They want action. The American people are concerned as we act on legislation to cut Medicare, roll back environmental protection, and cut taxes. For the wealthiest they deserve to know we are doing their work and not that of special interests. Let's end the talk and bring campaign and lobby reform to the floor.”