Rob Portman

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California [Mr. DREIER] for yielding this time to me, and I want to congratulate him, and also the chairman of the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], for this open rule. I think it is a great step forward. It is going to lead to a very interesting debate over the next few days. We will have plenty discussion on all the issues, and I look forward to it. I think the Committee on Rules also provided a good service to this country by refining some of the aspects of this legislation in its good hearing on the matter. A lot of the issues were debated, of course, extensively at that hearing. I say to my colleagues, Let me just read you one letter I got a couple of weeks ago from Mark Schockman, a fire chief in my district. He wrote to tell me: Unfunded mandates are having strong impacts on our ability to provide emergency services to our customers and to your constituents, Congressman. Well, unfortunately for my constituents, that is exactly what is going on. Mandates result in cuts in vital services, fire services, police services, and so on. They also result in increased taxes. These are property taxes, these are sales taxes, these are State income taxes. In a way it is taxation without representation. It is a critical issue. It is a crisis. We have got to have a new kind of federalism. Again I applaud the Committee on Rules for having this open rule. I look forward to an open debate.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank my Ohio neighbor for yielding. Madam Speaker, when I came to Congress in a special election in 1993, the very first measure that I consponsored was something called the Congressional Sunshine Act. As many in this Chamber will recall, that was to be part of the great reform movement of the 103d Congress. The reforms never happened. I am very pleased we have the opportunity tonight to act on this measure. I am very pleased to see we have some new converts, who had the chance to cosponsor this bill last year and chose not to. Madam Speaker, the Sunshine Act was the first bill I consponsored because it seemed indefensible to me, that with the exceptions listed in this rule, there is a need to hold hearings behind closed doors. What are we afraid of? What scares us so much about public scrutiny? In a free and open society, shouldn't Congress--the People's House-- take the lead in providing access? In giving assurances to our constituents that they'll have a bird's eye view of what is going on in their government? As we all know, many of the most critical public policy decisions are made at the committee level; we've got to ensure that the American people--the people who sent us here--are part of that process. No reform is more important to a more accountable Congress. I'm pleased that this measure has finally been given the chance to see the light of day. Now, let's vote to shine that light--freedom's torch--on our own proceedings. As we all know, the most critical public policy decisions around here are made at the committee level. They affect all Americans. We have to ensure that the American people, the people who sent us here, are part of that decisionmaking process. No reform is more important, I believe, Madam Speaker, to accountability than this measure. I am pleased this measure has finally been given the chance to see the light of day. Now let us shine that light, freedom's torch, on all of our proceedings.