Page images
PDF
EPUB

This measure makes so much sense that it has already been co-sponsored by 46 members with little salesmanship on my part.

This simple change in the Rules allows members an opportunity to view the provisions of a bill before they vote on the measure. Guaranteeing members this right to be informed of legislation we are voting on would move us light years ahead.

My bill also contains a provision which allows this rule to be suspended only upon the joint request of the Speaker and the

minority leader based upon a determination of national emergency and an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members.

I have heard from many Freshman members who are surprised that there is not a provision in the rules requiring that printed copies be available. Many of them came here from state legislatures who have this rule.

I know that my state of New Hampshire has this same rule. State legislators I talked with said that at first implementing this rule caused some problems for staff and old school politicians, but it was so well received be rank and file members, the media and public interest groups, that it is enthusiastically complied with today.

I hope that the members of the joint committee will endorse this simple rule

change and support a measure aimed at true reform.

Mr. Chairman, thank you again for this opportunity to testify.

Wit Zeliff In

nut - I

TILLIE K. FOWLER

4TH DISTRICT, FLURIDA

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515-0904

STATEMENT BY REP. TILLIE FOWLER

TO JOING COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS
February 4, 1993

THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR
ALLOWING ME TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY ABOUT WHAT I THINK IS
PARAMOUNT TO THE FUTURE OF THIS INSTITUTION... CONGRESSIONAL
REFORM.

DURING MY CAMPAIGN, THE SALARY OF THE DEPUTY DOOR KEEPER
BECAME AN ISSUE. THE VOTERS OF THE FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT IN FLORIDA COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS POSITION PAID
$104,000. EVERY WHERE I WENT, WHETHER IT WAS ROTARY, THE
KIWANIS CLUB, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OR THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN
VOTERS, OUTRAGE WAS EXPRESSED TIME AND TIME AGAIN ABOUT THE
ABUSES OF THE SYSTEM.

ON THE TAIL OF BOUNCED CHECKS, UNPAID MEAL TABS AND POST
OFFICE SCANDAL, THE VOTERS ARE DEMANDING WE DO MORE THAN
JUST HIRE AN ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
THEY EXPECT US TO IMPLEMENT REAL REFORM...THIS IS THE ONLY WAY
THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO REGAIN THEIR TRUST AND BE ABLE TO GET
ON WITH THE BUSINESS OF BEING CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVES....

CITIZEN REPRESENTATION...THAT IS WHAT THIS HOUSE IS SUPPOSED
TO BE ALL ABOUT....BUT HOW CAN WE BE TRUE CITIZEN
REPRESENTATIVES IF WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS COMMITTEE
CHAIRMEN TO SERVE FOR AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME. I WOULD
URGE MY COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE TO ADOPT
RULES SIMILAR TO THOSE ADOPTED BY THE REPUBLICANS... STATING
THAT COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN CAN ONLY SERVE SIX YEARS....

Tillie K. Fowler

Page two

AS YOU MAY KNOW, I SUPPORT TERM LIMITS FOR BOTH THE HOUSE AND
SENATE...IN FACT I HAVE FILED A BILL LIMITING MEMBERS OF THE
HOUSE TO EIGHT YEARS AND MEMBERS OF THE SENATE TO TWELVE
YEARS. I WOULD URGE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE
TERM LIMITS FOR COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIPS AS WELL. THOMAS
JEFFERSON RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF ROTATION IN OFFICE
....TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED TO HEED PRESIDENT JEFFERSON'S
ADVICE.

YESTERDAY, I WAS WITNESS TO ANOTHER NEEDED REFORM THAT NEEDS
TO BE INSTITUTED...MEMBERS, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ALIKE,
SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE COMMITTEE REPORT FOR
THE BILL THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THE VOTE FOR FINAL PASSAGE. WHEN
I WORKED ON THE HILL 20 YEARS AGO, COMMITTEE REPORTS SEEMED
TO ACCOMPANY BILLS. IT IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION AS TO WHY
MEMBERS CAN'T RECEIVE A COMMITTEE REPORT IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THIS CONGRESS HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF ITS STAFF
IN THE PAST TWENTY YEARS...BUT IT CAN'T SEEM TO PERFORM THE
SAME LEVEL OF WORK. DOES THE FAULT FALL WITH THE STAFF OR A
SYSTEM THAT HAS BECOME VICTIM TO POLITICAL MANIPULATION
DEPRIVING MEMBERS ACCESS TO INFORMATION?

I ALSO THINK THAT A COMPLETE REVIEW OF COMMITTEES, SUBCOMMITTEES, AND THEIR STAFF SHOULD TAKE PLACE. A ZEROBASED BUDGET APPROACH IF YOU WILL SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO REVIEW EACH COMMITTEE AND ITS USEFULNESS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS CONGRESS WOULD BE ABLE TO OPERATE WITH A FEW LESS COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE STAFF.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I COMMEND YOU AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
FOR TAKING TIME TO SOLICIT THE VIEWS OF THE MEMBERS...AS I SEE
IT, YOU LEAD ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS TASKS FACING THIS
CONGRESS....I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS AND LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOU TO INSTITUTE THE
REFORMS NEEDED TO GIVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE A CONGRESS OF
WHICH THEY CAN BE PROUD OF...A CONGRESS THAT IS TRULY
RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA....

THANK YOU.

« PreviousContinue »