Inappropriate Use of Goverment Tools

The Library of Congress provides us all with their handy tool dubbed Thomas. It allows you to search through proposed legislation and the congressional record from the capitol of our nation.

Submitted for your perusal is a series of 'excerpts' from some recent testimony:

BROADCAST DECENCY ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - February 16, 2005)

...The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) each will control 30 minutes of debate on the bill.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton.)

Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to...extend their...extraneous material on H.R. 310.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?

There was no objection.

Mr. BARTON of Texas. I yield myself...as I...consume.

Mr. Speaker, today the Energy and Commerce Committee brings its first major bill of the 109th Congress to the floor, H.R. 310, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005. This legislation makes great strides in making...the...unprecedented...level of disgust in the...public airwaves...at an all-time high.

...the FCC pushed the envelope..of...programming....It is a mere drop in the bucket, a slap on the wrist. This bill would raise the stakes by giving...$500,000 for an indecent broadcast....$500,000...gets people's attention.

The bill also takes the additional step to address the performers who may exploit the...need to hold...

The goal is...to..make...the... indecent...broadcast...a...license...to....take...the full...member...hard. It is... good...It is firm... Most importantly...I...strongly urge my colleagues to..consent...to..the gentleman from Texas...

There was no objection.

Mr. Speaker, I want...the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton)..handled in a...fashion...overwhelmingly...indecent...Again, ...with regard to the amount of money that..the gentleman from Texas..dedicated...to...my...member of...full...spirit...we are delighted that it is up on the floor as early as it is. A little bit more than a year ago, I introduced similar legislation that had all five FCC commissioners, Republican and Democrat, on board.... I...wanted...kids...to receive...the highest..level of expectation when a parent turns on the TV or the radio... A parent should not have to think twice about...a slap on the wrist, and that is exactly what this legislation does.

By significantly increasing...indecency, ...parents across the country can rest easy. With the passage of this legislation I am confident that ...disk jockeys...pushing that envelope...are...better off

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong...tremendous...infamous...sickened and shocked...authority. As stewards of the public's...decency...there are still too many who continue to push the...children...

But for now, I will simply close...

Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), a member of the committee.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

I rise in opposition to H.R. 310, the Broadcast Decency Act. While I acknowledge and appreciate that this...attempt...is both overreaching and off the mark and I urge my colleagues...embrace a solution that could cause more harm than good. I...would essentially...put Big Brother in charge of deciding what is art and what is free speech. If enacted, ...we will see self- and actual censorship reach new...heights. For instance, on Veterans Day of 2001 and 2002, ABC aired ... a movie about...those who...are considering..their heads, 66 ABC affiliates refused to run the show. They were afraid that the award-winning salute...would be deemed indecent. They were concerned that it might trigger at least...three...threats to our Constitution...Do we not want to have sensational performances...? Do we want a blanding down?

Additionally, ...our children...are inappropriate..., I...want...Big Brother making that decision for me....

If I could just say that I happen to be much more concerned about...Janet Jackson's nipple. I...say, let us get a grip...