Jennifer Dunn

Ms. DUNN of Washington

Ms. DUNN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, the Democrats are trying to frighten the American people into thinking that balancing the budget is going to end modern civilization as we know it. They would like us to believe that the phrase ``living within means'' will bring destruction to everyone and everything in America. Mr. Speaker, balancing the budget simply means that we will control spending and control growth to make the Government less costly, smaller, and more accountable to the American people. How can we be afraid of this? Every hard-working American taxpayer balances the budget every month--every hard-working American taxpayer understands the meaning of living within one's means. Why are we afraid of practicing this same approach? Mr. Speaker, it is time to pass the balanced budget amendment. It is time to get our spending under control. It is time to make the Government accountable to the American people. We should not be afraid to do what is right.

Ms. DUNN

Ms. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank all the people who have helped on the Sunshine Act. This is a wonderful moment for many of us, a real moment of true reform. Almost 2 years ago, Representative Rich Pombo and the Republican freshmen and I spearheaded a freshman Republican class project to put an end to closed-door sessions where public business was done in private. Specifically, and I want to inform the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank], we had been outraged when the then chairman, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Rostenkowski] escorted the public and the press out of a committee meeting and closed the meeting so no one would see Democrats voting to raise taxes retroactively, while every single Republican opposed them. As the only freshman on the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, it was then my privilege to continue to push this item in the last Congress, but the majority in the last Congress was not friendly to reform, Madam Speaker. The Sunshine Act and other important reforms were bottled up in committee and stalled to seeming death. However, those reforms did not die. Instead, they are being enacted today by a new majority, and this sunshine rule is the direct descendent of our effort 2 years ago. Now finally the rules will be changed. The public now has the right to see the public's business being conducted. After all, Madam Speaker, the public pays for the process. They should be able to view the process. Now on this opening day, as reforms begin, let the public watch their public servants. Let the press report events based on eyewitness accounts. Let the television cameras be our eye on the process, when we cannot be here in Washington, DC. Madam Speaker, let the sunshine in. I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.