TRANSCRIPT

Hoyer Argues to Restore the House Ethics Rules

MR. HOYER: MR. SPEAKER, THE INTEGRITY OF THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE SUPERSEDES THE INTEREST OF ANY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER WHO IS PRIVILEGED TO SERVE HERE OF EITHER POLITICAL PARTY. WE BEAR AN INDIVIDUAL DUTY AS WELL AS A COLLECTIVE OBLIGATION TO ABIDE BY THE HIGHEST ETHICAL STANDARDS AND TO CONDUCT OURSELVES IN A MANNER THAT INSTILLS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THIS INSTITUTION. YET TODAY, THE ETHICS PROCESS IN THIS HOUSE IS AT A STANDSTILL. OUR REPUBLICAN PARTISAN PROCESS TO ADDRESS ALLEGED ETHICS VIOLATIONS HAS BEEN STYMIED BY A PARTISAN ROADBLOCK THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF THE ETHICS COMMITTEE. THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT, MR. MOLLOHAN, HAS INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD REMOVE THIS ROADBLOCK AND RESTORE THE ETHICS RULES THAT WERE ADOPTED ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS IN 1997. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT MR. MOLLOHAN'S RESOLUTION. LET'S RESTORE THE ETHICS RULES THAT GUIDED US FOR THE LAST FOUR CONGRESSES. LET'S ENSURE THAT OUR ETHICS PROCESS IS BIPARTISAN AND COMMANDS THE RESPECT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE OUGHT TO EXPECT NO LESS OF OURSELVES. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: FOR