On the recordDecember 11, 2014
I thank the gentlelady. One of the big challenges that this institution faces is to restore its credibility with the American people. This process that we have gone through, where, at the end of the negotiations between our House and Senate negotiators, two provisions of great significance were inserted into the bill--one that would provide relief from Dodd-Frank provisions to Wall Street banks, the other which would allow individuals to increase donations to $2.5 million per cycle--had no hearings. They had no debate. No one has had any input on what the implications are of these actions that are very significant when it comes to campaign finance and when it comes to the integrity of Dodd- Frank. We must legislate in the light of day and not use a piece of legislation that is of vital concern to the American people to attach provisions that have nothing to do with that particular bill. It is why so many people--Republicans, Democrats, and Independents--think that the political process is not on the level. So why put these provisions in? We could pass these bills without it. These provisions would then be allowed to have hearings in committee, and then we would be responsible to vote ``yes'' or ``no'' on the campaign finance provision, on the Dodd-Frank provision, where our constituents would be able to hold each and every one of us accountable as to what our view was.
