Henry Hyde

Mr. HYDE

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Chairman, we have just been called extremists, and list me in the front ranks of the extreme, if by earning that appellation I can defend the innocent unborn. It seems to me 1\1/2\ million abortions every year is pretty extreme. The U.S. Supreme Court has held in a Georgia case that you may not execute the rapist. The words of the court were that is a disproportionate penalty for the crime; disproportionate, do not execute the rapist, but you can execute the unborn in the womb. Nobody says a rape victim has an easy matter of it. That is tragic, and it is heart-rending. But why visit on the innocent unborn life execution that the court will not let you do to the rapist? That is a tragedy, and it calls for love and compassion and help, and we ought to provide that, but do not add insult to injury by executing the most innocent of human beings, an unborn child. I do not think we should be proud of the fact that we have a million and a half abortions. But most of the people arguing for the Lowey amendment I find supported the partial-birth abortion process. That is what is extreme. That is the edge of the envelope. If you want to protect human life, if you think abortions ought to be safe, legal, and rare, as the President says, how are you making them rare by forcing States to pay for them when the States do not want to and their laws do not want them to and even their constitution forbids it? That is extreme.

Mr. HYDE

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, even though the gentleman is bitterly hostile to what we are trying to do. The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. Rogers]. The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Gekas] is recognized for 2 minutes.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a letter from the chairman of the Committee on House Oversight with reference to this legislation. Committee on House Oversight, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, March 5, 1996. Hon. Henry Hyde, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Hyde: On Tuesday, March 5, the House will consider on the suspension calendar, H.R. 497, to establish a Commission to study the impact of gambling in the United States. A portion of this legislation directs the Commission to study the impact of campaign contributions on public policy related to gambling. Under House Rule 10(h) 12 and 15 the Committee on House Oversight has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to ``corrupt practices'' and ``the raising, reporting, and use of campaign contributions for office of Representative. . . .'' The parliamentarian has indicated in consultations with the Committee that the consideration of this bill on suspension does not constitute any precedent for avoidance of this Committee's jurisdiction in future matters that relate to campaign finance as a matter of Federal public policy. I would appreciate your entering this letter as part of the record during the floor consideration of H.R. 497. Thank you very much for your cooperation on this matter. Sincerely, Bill Thomas, Chairman.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hoke].

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New Jersey [Mrs. Roukema]. (Mrs. ROUKEMA asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Roemer]. (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood].

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Utah [Mrs. Waldholtz].

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 497) to create the National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission, as amended.

Mr. HYDE. Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is our intent that the U.S. Territories, Commonwealths, and possessions be included in H.R. 497, as the gentleman has stated.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. HYDE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Wolf], the chief sponsor of this bill. (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HYDE

Mr. HYDE. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. HYDE. It was through your efforts, Jim, not anybody else's.

Mr. HYDE. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I have a very special announcement to make. One of our colleagues, the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Bunning], was just named to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that my colleagues all know that the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Bunning] is the only major league pitcher ever to pitch a no-hit game in both the National League and the American League and that his selection to the Hall of Fame was not by baseball writers, but by the veterans themselves, which makes it, it seems to me, a little loftier in stature. Mr. Speaker, I might trespass upon my friendship with the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Bunning] to tell the Members a true story. I think I have the year right. 1958. Maybe it was 1968, but I am going to say 1958. The gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Bunning] was pitching for the Detroit Tigers against the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees had a first base coach named Bob Turley, a former pitcher who was very skilled at stealing signs. Every time Jim would throw a fastball, Turley would whistle, and the batters knew what the pitch was. Now, the first batter up was Bobby Richardson, and Jim got him out. The second batter up was Tony Kubek, the shortstop. Jim got him out. The third batter stepped in, Mickey Mantle, and Jim walked over to the first base coach, Turley, and he said, ``If you whistle, I am going to hit him right in the back with a pitch.'' Jim took the mound. He got his sign and he was at the top of his windup when Turley whistled. Jim decided to cross everybody up. He threw a slider. It got away from him, and hit Mantle right in the back. Mantle headed toward the mound with his bat, but decided better of it, and trotted down to first base. The next batter was Yogi Berra. Yogi stepped in, pounded the plate, looked at Jim Bunning and said, ``Hey, Jim, if Turley whistles, I ain't listening.''

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if I might yield to the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Bunning] for a few comments.

Mr. HYDE. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. HYDE. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania for a brief comment.

Mr. HYDE. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker if I might yield very briefly to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Curt Weldon, who formerly was the Congressman of Jim Bunning.

Mr. HYDE

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 497, the bill just passed.