House Proceeding 04-05-06 on Apr 5th, 2006 :: 0:39:38 to 0:59:38
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Speech By: Collin C. Peterson

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Collin C. Peterson: and in the 10 years while you've been reflecting, your rules don't say the same. because your leaders can get indicted or the rankers can get indicted and you don't have to step down.

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because you haven't even recognized that as a basic element of your own party, let alone your quick criticisms of this institution. but i also want to say that while i confess, i did not think

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the bcra was the solution for campaign finance reform, and voted that way on both the house administration committee and on this floor, i accepted it as the law of the land. legislation passed

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David Dreier: by both bodies, signed by the president, affirmed by the supreme court. but when i was listening to those who are pro-bcra that wanted this law as it sits today, they fail to loophole called

0:40:25 to 0:40:43( Edit History Discussion )

David Dreier: 527's. and all the debate on leveling the playing field was get the big money out of politics. well, four individuals on the democratic side have had over $80 million. four republicans had over $23

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David Dreier: million. as they were engaged in obscene big money, unregulated in campaigns, influencing presidential, congressional and referendum votes. and so when we look at some common sense, common sense

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David Dreier: i think the american people are going to quite frankly think makes sense, let's get unregulated big money out of the campaigns by having a level playing field across the system. universal.

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David Dreier: that the money you give to your political party -- i ask the gentleman to yield me more time. mr. ehlers: i'm pleased to yield the gentleman another 45 seconds. mr. reynolds: as we level

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David Dreier: the playing field, all we're asking is that rich individuals who want to be in the process have the same rights extended to them that individuals who want to give to the political party,

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David Dreier: whether it's the democratic national committee or its subordinate parties or the republican national committee and its subordinate parties, the same amount of money to 527's as they invest in

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David Dreier: the opportunity to express themselves however they want. with the same reviewed supreme court aspect of having a level playing field across the entire system. anyone who doesn't vote for this

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David Dreier: that supported bcra is a hypocrite. anyone on the other side that doesn't recognize that this is a loophole in the law and they have a chance to at least level the field under the law we're

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David Dreier: going to live on misses the point. i urge that you spoirt this -- support this legislation that's before us today. ms. millender-mcdonald: i yield one minute to the gentleman from illinois for a response.

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David Dreier: mr. emanuel: there must be something in the water in washington. to remind my colleague and friend from buffalo, the first vote on this congress was by the majority party was to strip the ethics

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David Dreier: committee that investigates members of its authority to do that which is why after 15 months in this congress the ethics committee has not met until last week. since that time, one member stepped

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David Dreier: down with a guilty plea, another member would step down with a cloud of ethics and others are under federal investigation at this point and why, because of the first vote by the republican

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David Dreier: majority was to strip strip the ethics committee of its role and its authority. mr. reynolds: will the gentleman yield? mr. emanuel: i will not you have your own time. in fact the majority

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David Dreier: party did vote this congress when a member of their party was indicted they were allowed to hold their party position. you have that vote. you stripped your party of that authority and that

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David Dreier: moral voice when you cast your vote to allow the majority leader to retain his position when indicted. now maybe there's a ramp and disease called short-term memory over there but two votes

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David Dreier: in this congress, one that if you got indicted -- 10 seconds more. thank you. when you get indicted in fact you're allowed to keep your position. you cast those votes on your side and

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David Dreier: this congress when it opened up rather than address the scandals, this congress under the jorpte, not with any democratic support, stripped the bipartisan ethics committee from its ability to

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David Dreier: hold investigations which is why not a single member to date with all these scandals some reported by others, congressional historians as the worst scandals in the history of the congress

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David Dreier: still the ethics committee has failed to do its job because have you stripped it of its ability to do its job. that will be the moral stain on this congress, your votes. the speaker pro tempore:

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David Dreier: the gentleman from michigan. mr. ehlers: i'm pleased to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from new york to respond. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. reynolds: i look

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David Dreier: forward to the day when our ethics committee, when the democrats will give the tools to a bipartisan 5-5 ethics committee to begin reviewing both democrats and republicans who need to go before

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David Dreier: that committee to have resolution of stuff that has been stalled for an entire 2005 by the democratic leadership. ms. millender-mcdonald: 20 seconds to respond to the gentleman. mr. emanuel: you may

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David Dreier: not -- this year, you may not get education reform this year and for sure you won't balance the budget but this congress will be remembered as the congress that jack and tom built because

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David Dreier: the scandals continue to swirl around this institution and until do you serious lobbying reform and close the loopholes, close the revolving door, have real transparency, real enforcement

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David Dreier: this congress when that gavel comes down it is intended to open the people's house not the auction house and you've allowed it to become an auction house and this is the house that jack built.

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David Dreier: ms. millender-mcdonald: how much time do we have remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman has 11 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman from michigan has eight minutes remaining. the gentleman

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David Dreier: from michigan. mr. ehlers: i reserve the balance of my time at this point. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california. ms. millender-mcdonald: i now allow the gentleman from arizona,

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David Dreier: mr. flake for two -- three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. flake: i thank the gentlewoman for yielding. this isn't the first time that the congress has

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David Dreier: good night debated the effects of public campaign discourse. let me take you back to 1798 when 20 independent newspapers aligned with thomas jefferson started to openly criticizing the