REMARKS FOR THIS EVENING
"M. Speaker, I thank the Gentleman from California, Mr. Dreier for yielding and I ask for unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. M. Speaker, This bill represents a true victory for the American People and provides some hope that the integrity of this body, which has been so badly tarnished by the actions of this Majority, can one day be restored. As a child, my parents taught me that integrity means doing what's right when no one is looking.
Well, four months ago, when they thought no one was looking, the Republican Majority of this House passed a Rules package that gutted the House Ethics standards and effectively neutered the House Ethics Committee. The changes were made in an obvious attempt to protect one man from further prosecution or investigation by the Ethics Committee.
Four months later, after the world has been awakened to the unethical brand of 'sweep it under the rug' politics of this Majority, the Speaker has finally relented to the public pressure and agreed to re-instate the ethics rules that have governed this house for years, rules that should have been governing this House during the 109th Congress from the very start.
You know, it is easy to do the right thing when the whole world is watching...well, today the whole world is watching and it appears that the Republican Majority, with their back against the wall, may finally do the right thing. It appears as though they may heed my call, and the calls of Congressman Mollohan and many others...It appears that they may heed the overwhelming call of the American People and return this House to the Ethics Rules of the 108th Congress...and not just a section from part A or a smidgen of part B...All of them.
Even now, at this low point for the Republican leadership, there is concern that the Rules changes the Majority is proposing today will not include measures to ensure that the staff of the Ethics committee remains non-partisan. Something that is critical if the Ethics Committee is to retain any credibility moving forward. Even in defeat it seems this Majority has no shame.
I will say, that whatever the outcome today, the Republican Majority does not deserve a pat on the back for their apparent about face. As I said earlier, we should always remember that it's easy to make the right decision when the whole world is watching. What defines our character is what we do when no one is watching. Well we saw clearly what this majority is all about. We have been witness to it for the past four months...and every day we discover new abuses of the Rules by the Republican leadership, and new abuses of the Democratic process here in the House.
We all owe Congressman Mollohan a debt of gratitude for his resoluteness and steadfastness on this issue and for having the courage to fight against this clear attempt by the Republicans to subvert our democratic process and destroy the principles of ethics and integrity in this House.
Let us hope the American people will not soon forget what this majority did, and the Herculean effort it has required to convince them to reverse course."
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