Richard K. Armey: “forgive me, I did not mean for the gentleman to think that I am being accusatory. I am only going by what I read in the…”

“forgive me, I did not mean for the gentleman to think that I am being accusatory. I am only going by what I read in the papers. Of course, we all realize that the newspapers are not always reliable. But I believe I read that the gentleman from Washington [Mr. McDermott] had been reported in the papers as saying, I do not want to interrupt my vacation. I do not want to quarrel with the gentleman about that. I just want to say that, as I had that understanding, perhaps imperfectly so, I felt, yes, the Member who works and toils long and hard and finally has an opportunity to fulfill the obligation and the commitment and the opportunity they had to vacation with their family should have respect in the process. I will return to that point later. Now, again, if the gentleman will let me complete my statement, I do not wish to quarrel about this. I wish to clarify a few points. Then I understood that the committee, even long-distance phone calls and conference calls and so forth, came to some negotiations regarding a timetable that would require this part of the rules package that is before us today, the existence of a select committee that reinstates the life of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct as we have known it, with jurisdiction over this case as its continues into this Congress. This is what we have done.…”