congressional_record: CREC-1995-12-13-pt1-PgE2352
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| CREC-1995-12-13-pt1-PgE2352 | 1995-12-13 | 104 | 1 | 141 | CIVILITY IN CONGRESS | SENATE | EXTENSIONS | ALLOTHER | E2352 | E2353 | [{"name": "Lee H. Hamilton", "role": "speaking"}] | [{"congress": "104", "type": "SRES", "number": "4"}] | 141 Cong. Rec. E2352 | Congressional Record, Volume 141 Issue 198 (Wednesday, December 13, 1995) [Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 13, 1995)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E2352-E2353] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CIVILITY IN CONGRESS ______ HON. LEE H. HAMILTON of indiana in the house of representatives Wednesday, December 13, 1995 Mr. HAMILTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington report for Wednesday, December 6, 1995, into the Congressional Record. Civility in Congress In his recent press conference announcing why he would not be a candidate for President, Colin Powell mentioned the ``incivility that exists in political life today''. He's right. In national politics and in Congress we have seen a clear decline of basic civility. This year in Congress there have been mean personal attacks, shouting across the aisle, shoving matches, hissing and booing, and Members going out of their way to antagonize those of the other party. Press accounts have described the situation in Congress as ``nasty'', ``full-scale partisan warfare'', and ``the politics of poison''. Partisan tensions are as bad as I can remember. As one senior Member recently noted, ``Boy, it's mean out there.'' President Clinton recently called for more mutual respect in public discourse, echoing the sentiments of President Bush who called for an end to the ``climate of ugliness'' on Capitol Hill. The situation certainly isn't as bad as in other countries where we see brawls and fistfights breaking out among members of parliament, but it does merit some attention. Hinders Legislation The bitter, contentious exchanges in Congress certainly do not reflect well on the institution, lead to public cynicism, and make the job of legislating more difficult. As Thomas Jefferson stated, ``It is very material that order, decency, and regularity be preserved in a dignified public body.'' Excessive partisan bickering poisons the atmosphere of Congress and hurts the ability of Members to come together to pass legislation for the good of the country. In a democracy like ours, the willingness of Members of Congress to listen and to talk to each other in a civil way is essential to our ability to reach a consensus on the difficult policy issues facing our nation--from balancing the budget to sending troops to Bosnia. Certainly spirited debate is appropriate for the many important policy questions before Congress. Members have strong feelings on particular issues, and naturally get upset when they believe that programs very important to their constituents are being gutted or when they feel the other side is putting up unnecessary roadblocks to their legislative agenda. But Members can carry the legitimate debate too far and argue in ways that undermine serious policy deliberation. Past History The problem of a breakdown of civility in Congress is certainly not a new one. In past years, especially during periods of national turmoil such as the Civil War or the civil rights movement, there have been major breakdowns in decorum. Over the years, Members have been formally punished by the House for making statements such as describing another Member as one ``who is the champion of fraud, who is the apologist of thieves, and who is such a prodigy of vice and meanness that to describe him would sicken imagination and exhaust invective''. Heated debate at times led to fistfights, pistol duels, and, a frequent response in earlier days, hitting another Member over the head with a cane. Enforcement Congress has two basic ways of disciplining Members for inappropriate speech. If the remarks occur during debate on the House floor, another Member can object and request that the speaker's ``words be taken down''. If the words are ruled inappropriate by the Chair, the speaker either can withdraw the statement or be prohibited from speaking on the floor for the remainder of the day. Broader enforcement can come from the House Standards of Official Conduct Committee--the House ethics committee--which has been given wide-ranging powers to punish Members for any actions which do not ``reflect creditably on the House of Representatives''. Formal charges could be filed against a Member, and the Standards Committee could recommend a range of sanctions. In the past, Members have been formally censured by the full House for disorderly words spoken in debate. Remedies The vast majority of the contacts between Members of Congress are civil and courteous. But there are intemperate exchanges--often getting extensive media coverage--which hurt the ability of the institution to properly function. Several steps would be helpful in minimizing them. First, the Standards of Official Conduct Committee should issue an advisory opinion to all Members of Congress spelling out to them what are the proper limits of discourse and what are the consequences of going beyond the limits. The Standards Committee has a separate Office of Advice and Education which was set up specifically for such an advisory role to help head off misconduct before it occurs. Second, we need more consistent enforcement by the Chair and by the Standards Committee. Rulings by the Chair can be spotty and inconsistent, and the rules requiring penalties for improper remarks have at times been waived. The Standards Committee has failed to act on some fairly egregious cases of improper speech in recent years. Third, outside groups can be helpful watchdogs in keeping an eye on Members' statements. A bipartisan group like the Former Members of Congress, for example, could play a useful role in monitoring and publicizing proper and improper discourse on the floor. Fourth, we need tougher enforcement by the voters. At times a Member of Congress might rise to prominence through a negative, confrontational style. If other Members think the nasty approach to politics works, they will emulate it. The voters need to send a clear signal that negative and nasty doesn't work. Finally, Members must take it upon themselves to uphold appropriate standards of debate. In the end, it is up to each of us in Congress to set the proper tone and to work with our colleagues to maintain decorum. conclusion Breakdowns in civility in Congress can reflect the passions of the moment, the polarizing nature of the policy issues, or even a less civil tone in the larger society. But that is no excuse for letting particularly intemperate and inflammatory speech go unchecked. Reining in the excesses can go a long way toward improving the ability of Congress to tackle the tough legislative agenda before us. (Information was taken from a Congressional Research Service report, ``Decorum in House Debate'') [[Page E2353]] SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place, and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or changes in the meetings as they occur. As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week. Meetings scheduled for Thursday, December 14, 1995, may be found in the Daily Digest of today's Record. MEETINGS SCHEDULED DECEMBER 15 9:30 a.m. Labor and Human Resources To hold hearings on proposed legislation to amend provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act relating to the minimum wage. SD-430 2:00 p.m. Foreign Relations To hold hearings on Eric James Boswell, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, and Anthony Cecil Eden Quainton, of the District of Columbia, to be Director General of the Foreign Service, both of the Department of State. SD-419 DECEMBER 19 10:00 a.m. Judiciary To hold hearings to examine trends in youthful drug use. SD-226 2:00 p.m. Judiciary To hold hearings on pending nominations. SD-226 |