Marty Meehan

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Rivers), who has been a leader on this floor many, many late nights.

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), who has been such a leader in campaign finance reform.

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) who was so instrumental in forging this coalition that we have, in merging this coalition that we have through merging the commission bill. (Mrs. MALONEY of New York asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) who has played such a critical role particularly over the last year and a half in making sure that we got to this point in time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps). (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), our minority leader, who has been so instrumental in putting us to where we are right now for this historic vote in favor of campaign finance reform. (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, there comes a time in a legislator's life when he or she has to be held accountable for his or her vote. That day has arrived for the Members of the 105th Congress. Once in a generation Members of Congress take it upon themselves to change our campaign finance laws, once in a generation. Madam Chairman, that day has arrived for the Members of the 105th Congress. Madam Chairman, there are Members of this House on both sides of the aisle who have worked diligently over a period of years. On the Democratic side, there is the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Sandy Levin), who has been working so hard; the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn Maloney), who I mentioned earlier; the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Tom Allen), who came to this body as a freshman, working diligently; the minority leader, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior), who have played such a critical role in getting us to the point where we are now, on the verge of this historic vote. And yes, Madam Chairman, on the other side of the aisle there is the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Zach Wamp), the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Linda Smith), the gentleman from California (Mr. Steve Horn), and the coauthor of this legislation, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Chris Shays), who has stood up, at times in very difficult circumstances, to the leadership of his own party and taken that leadership on so we could get to where we are right now, on the eve of a very, very historic vote. We have a piece of legislation that abolishes soft money. After all we have heard and witnessed, is it not about time that we abolish soft money? I did not hear any Members of this House, with over 60 amendments offered to try to defeat this bill, I did not hear anybody trying to defend the corrupt soft money practice that we have seen abused in the last election cycle. I did not hear anybody. I heard excuses, I saw amendments, but nobody stood up to defend the soft money corrupt system that we have spent so much money holding hearings over the period of the last year and a half. Madam Chairman, my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, this is, indeed, an historic opportunity that only comes once in a generation, because it is not usual when Members of the House have a bill with bipartisan support, a bicameral bill, so when we send this bill to the other body, they have already spent time with the majority Members supporting. This is an historic opportunity, because even though we end for summer recess, the other body is ready to pick up this legislation. Let us rise to the challenge tonight and meet our responsibilities, Members of this House of Representatives, and pass the Shays-Meehan legislation by a wide majority and get it over to the other body.

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior), the distinguished minority whip. Let me say there are a lot of people responsible for the historic vote that we are about to have, but there is no one more responsible, who has worked harder on the Shays-Meehan bill than the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran). (Mr. MORAN of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind). (Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi). (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would point out that the gentlewoman has no intentions of supporting campaign finance reform, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra).

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I request the time in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert).

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), who has been a leader in our efforts to find a way to pass real campaign finance reform.

Mr. MEEHAN. Reclaiming my time, what specifically would be the provisions with regard to something that was in the national security interest not to disclose a name?

Mr. MEEHAN. Reclaiming my time, the Pentagon would not be able to make those determinations, or the State Department would not be able to make those determinations?

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, we would accept the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I seek to take the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Fazio).

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I am rising in opposition. I would like to reserve the time in opposition.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, just by way of explanation, what is the intent of the amendment? Because perhaps we can work out an agreement on it. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. No, but I would ask to take the time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman would yield, there is a lot of acceptance here. And we will accept the gentleman's support on the final version of Shays-Meehan when we vote on it Monday night. We will accept the gentleman's support. Modification to Amendment No. 53 Offered by Mr. Gekas to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute No. 13 Offered by Mr. Shays

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to take the time reserved for anyone opposed to the amendment.