John Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, this is unbelievable. This is unreal. This is out of the ordinary. Why can a Member, all of the Members, not read from a report of a standing committee of this body?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, may I be heard on the point of order?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on all of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to defeat the previous question and to uphold the recommendation of the bipartisan Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. Earlier this week the investigative subcommittee charged with investigating the serious allegations against Speaker Gingrich issued an interim report. point of order

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, as Ghandi once said, ``Noncooperation with evil is as much a moral imperative as is cooperation with good.'' Over the course of the last week, I have stood on this House floor and called repeatedly for the release of the outside counsel report on the ethical violation of Speaker Newt Gingrich. My colleague, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Linder], has stood repeatedly to object to my speaking about this matter. I understand why the gentleman would not want me to discuss this issue; it does such little good for his friend, the Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes the rules must be confronted in the face of injustice. This was the case when I participated in the sit-ins and the freedom rides of the 1960's, and it is true today regarding the outside counsel report. Mr. Speaker, today, once again, the Members of this House have a chance to vote for the release of the outside counsel report. I urge Members to support my resolution. To do otherwise is to risk being accused of participating in a Newt Gingrich ethics coverup.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. There now exists a $500,000 report from the outside counsel. Later today or tomorrow, the House will once again consider a privileged resolution I have offered calling for the release of the outside counsel's report. The public deserves the right to see that report. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for the release of the secret Gingrich ethics report.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, may I be heard on the point of order?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Let me say to the gentleman from the other side, there comes a time when an injustice is so great, when you must even challenge the rule to demonstrate that injustice. I know the gentleman from the other side and the Members from the other side would not like for this report to come out.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, last week the Ethics Committee concluded for the third time that the gentleman from Georgia, Newt Gingrich, violated House rules in his use of a political adviser for official business. The committee concludes---- Point of Order

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, quote, the committee concludes that your conduct of allowing the routine presence in your office of Mr. Jones demonstrates a continuing pattern of lax administration and poor judgment that has concerned this committee in the past, unquote. Newt Gingrich has repeatedly shown his willingness to break House rules to suit his needs. The charges being investigated by the outside counsel, James Cole, are far more serious and involve violations of the law, including tax fraud. point of order

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX, I hereby give notice of my intention to offer a resolution which raises a question of the privileges of the House. The form of the resolution is as follows: Whereas on December 16, 1995, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct agreed to appoint an outside counsel to conduct an independent, nonpartisan investigation of allegations of ethical misconduct by Speaker Newt Gingrich; Whereas, after an eight-month investigation, that outside counsel has submitted an extensive document containing the results of his inquiry; Whereas the report of the outside counsel cost the taxpayers $500,000; Whereas the public has a right--and Members of Congress have a responsibility--to examine the work of the outside counsel and reach an independent judgment concerning the merits of the charges against the Speaker; Whereas these charges have been before the Ethics Committee for more than two years; Whereas a failure of the Committee to release the outside counsel's report before the adjournment of the 104th Congress will seriously undermine the credibility of the Ethics Committee and the integrity of the House of Representatives; Therefore be it resolved that: The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall release to the public the outside counsel's report on Speaker Newt Gingrich, including any conclusions, recommendations, attachments, exhibits or accompanying material--no later than Thursday, September 26, 1996.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the House, and I offer a resolution pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX, I hereby give notice of my intention to offer a resolution which raises a question of the privileges of the House. The form of the resolution is as follows: Whereas on December 6, 1995, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct agreed to appoint an outside counsel to conduct an independent, nonpartisan investigation of allegations of ethical misconduct by Speaker Newt Gingrich; Whereas, after an eight-month investigation, that outside counsel has submitted an extensive document containing the results of his inquiry; Whereas the report of the outside counsel cost the taxpayers $500,000; Whereas the public has a right--and Members of Congress have a responsibility--to examine the work of the outside counsel and reach an independent judgment concerning the merits of the charges against the Speaker; Whereas these charges have been before the Ethics Committee for more than two years; Whereas a failure of the Committee to release the outside counsel's report before the adjournment of the 104th Congress will seriously undermine the credibility of the Ethics Committee and the integrity of the House of Representatives: Therefore, be it Resolved, That the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall release to the public the outside counsel's report on Speaker Newt Gingrich--including any conclusions, recommendations, attachments, exhibits or accompanying material--no later than Wednesday, September 25, 1996.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the House, and I offer a resolution pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today or tomorrow the House will consider a privileged resolution I have introduced calling on the Ethics Committee to release the report of the outside counsel investigating Speaker Newt Gingrich. I would like to read the text of that privileged resolution: Whereas on December 6, 1995, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct agreed to appoint an outside counsel to conduct an independent, nonpartisan investigation of allegations of ethical misconduct by Speaker Newt Gingrich; Whereas, after an eight-month investigation, that outside counsel has submitted an extensive document containing the results of his inquiry; Whereas the report of the outside counsel cost the taxpayers $500,000; Whereas the public has a right--and members of Congress have a responsibility--to examine the work of the outside counsel and reach an independent judgment concerning the merits of the charges against the Speaker; Whereas these charges have been before the Ethics Committee for more than two years: Whereas a failure of the Committee to release the outside counsel's report before the adjournment of the 104th Congress will seriously undermine the credibility of the Ethics Committee and the integrity of the House of Representatives; Therefore be it resolved that-- The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall immediately release to the public the outside counsel's report on Speaker Newt Gingrich, including any conclusions, recommendations, attachments, exhibits or accompanying material.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, once again I rise to call on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to do the right thing, to release the outside counsel's report on Speaker Newt Gingrich. point of order Mr. LINDER, Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Yes, I do, Mr. Speaker. If the gentleman is familiar with the rules, he should know that the customary way to object is to ask that the Member's words be taken down.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker? Let me say to my----

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, let me say to my colleague from Georgia, Mr. Linder, I will not be harassed, bullied, or silenced. I know the rules of this House as well as the gentleman. But the gentleman knows, I have learned in my life that there are times when the rules must be challenged to confront an injustice. I will not sit down or keep silent until the report is released to the American people. Last week Newt Gingrich brought an ice bucket to this floor to demonstrate a small savings achieved in the House. It is strange indeed that those savings are approximately the same amount as the cost of the report by the outside counsel. Now the Speaker and the Republicans in this House want to put the outside counsel's report on ice and it is wrong, just plain wrong.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the outside counsel, James Cole, has prepared an extensive 100-page report on the Speaker's ethical violation. The American people deserve the right to know what is in that report. point of order

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX, I hereby give notice of my intention to offer a resolution which raises a question of the privileges of the House. The form of the resolution is as follows: Whereas on December 6, 1995, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct agreed to appoint an outside counsel to conduct an independent, nonpartisan investigation of allegations of ethical misconduct by Speaker Newt Gingrich; Whereas, after an eight-month investigation, that outside counsel has submitted an extensive document containing the results of his inquiry; Whereas the report of the outside counsel cost the taxpayers $500,000; Whereas the public has a right--and Members of Congress have a responsibility--to examine the work of the outside counsel and reach an independent judgment concerning the merits of the charges against the Speaker; Whereas these charges have been before the Ethics Committee for more than two years; Whereas a failure of the Committee to release the outside counsel's report before the adjournment of the 104th Congress will seriously undermine the credibility of the Ethics Committee and the integrity of the House of Representatives: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall immediately release to the public the outside counsel's report on Speaker Newt Gingrich, including any conclusions, recommendations, attachments, exhibits or accompanying material.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I take this time to pay tribute to the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic games, and to thank all the people who made these games a tremendous success. The 1996 Olympic games were the largest athletic event ever. For the first time in history, athletes from every country in the world came to Atlanta to participate in the games. Two weeks after the close of the Olympic games, Atlanta hosted the 1996 Paralympic games, the second largest athletic event in history. Each was a great success. Over 3 billion people, from throughout the globe, watched the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta. I would like to thank three individuals, three Atlantans, for bringing these Games to Atlanta and helping making the 1996 Olympics the greatest Olympics ever: Billy Payne, Andy Young, and A.D. Frazier. Through their dedication and hard work, they gave Atlanta the opportunity to host the Olympics and show the world what the Atlanta, capital of the New South, could accomplish. These three individuals could not put on the Olympics by themselves. I would like to thank the staff of ACOG, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, and the hundreds and thousand of volunteers who gave their time to make sure the games were a success. In addition, the Federal, State, and local governments all contributed to these Olympic games. President Clinton, and especially Vice President Gore, ensured that the Federal Government did all it could to help the Olympic games. I would like to thank two people in the Clinton administration in particular for their contributions to the Atlanta Games: Mack McLarty, Chairman of the White House task force on the Olympics and Paralympics; and Carol Roscoe, Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Policy. Georgia Governor Zell Miller and Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell both dedicated much time and effort to help ACOG prepare for and stage the Olympics. Federal Transit Administrator Gordon Linton, working with cities throughout the United States, helped provide the buses that were essential for transporting the athletes, the press, and other Olympic guests. MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transportation Authority, not only provided 24-hour transportation service to spectators, but coordinated most of the Olympic's transportation system. I also would like to thank all the law enforcement personnel that provided for the safety of the athletes and the spectators. Atlanta Police Chief Beverly Harvard and the entire Atlanta Police Department, the Georgia National Guard, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the State Patrol, the Secret Service, the FBI, emergency management personnel, and the Department of Defense all contributed in this effort. Members of the business community also came together to promote the Atlanta Olympic games. In particular, I would like to recognize several local businesses which played a particularly important role in helping finance these Olympic Games. Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, BellSouth, Home Depot, UPS, and NationsBank all stepped up to help the home town stage this great event. However, the Olympic games were not the only great event to come to Atlanta this summer. The opening ceremonies of the 10th Paralympic games followed less than 2 weeks after the closing ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic games. Under the guidance of Andy Fleming, the Paralympic games were as much a success as the Olympic games and an inspiration to us all. I would like to thank all the staff and volunteers of APOC, the Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee, for their work. In fact, APOC and Atlanta did such an excellent job of promoting athletics among the disabled that the Paralympic Organizing Committee is considering moving to Atlanta. Several local businesses generously contributed to the Paralympics. NationsBank sponsored the torch relay, and Shepherd Spinal Cord Center and Delta were major corporate sponsors. With the help of these people and organizations--and many others-- Atlanta staged the greatest Olympic games ever, and the greatest Paralympic games ever. Congratulations to Atlanta on hosting the greatest athletic events in history. Congratulations and thanks to all those who helped make these games a tremendous success.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the American public has paid $500,000 for this report and deserves the right to know what is in it. This weekend the Speaker himself said: ``I am totally in favor of releasing the report. The Speaker of the House is second in line to be President, is a very powerful position and the country deserves to know.'' Mr. Speaker, the country does deserve the right to know, and they deserve to know right now. Stop the stonewalling, stop the delay, stop the stalling. Release the outside counsel's report now and let the public draw their own conclusion. Anything less---- point of order

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to once again add my voice to the growing chorus of Members of this House, editorial board writers, public interest groups, and American citizens calling for the release of the ethics report on Speaker Gingrich. point of order

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I can clearly understand that the gentlemen from Pennsylvania and Georgia desire to silence us on this issue, but this issue will not go away. Mr. Speaker, if I might continue. The outside counsel, James Cole, has submitted an extensive report on his 9-month investigation of Speaker Gingrich. point of order