Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress - Originally broadcast on March 28, 1985
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Host Hodding Carter in studio. Intro to segment on Bob Dole.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Washington DC. American farmers march to the Capitol in order to urge President Reagan to sign the Emergency Farm Credit bill. People at a microphone speaking to the protestors on the bill. The President and others are saying we are doing this to embarrass him. If he vetoes this bill, he ought to be embarrassed. Protestors marching at the Capitol. Can only see the backs of their heads. Large American flag held by a marcher.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Senator Bob Dole (R - Kansas) speaking at press conference, In my view there s a lot of hype going on, there s a lot of PR going on, a lot of posturing going on and there isn t much going on to help the producer.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Pan across farm field. A tractor unloads hay for a herd of cows on a farm.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Senator Bob Dole (R - Kansas) walking down a hall in the Capitol.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Senator Bob Dole (R - Kansas) We re talking about a deficit that effects everyone, farmers included - high dollar, high interest rates - and we keep saying we ve got to reduce it. It just seemed to me that if the first group that came along unfortunately had to be farmers from my state and other farm states. If we yielded to them, then the floodgates would open.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Representative Jim Wright (D - Texas) meets with constituents in his office. Jim Wright, If everyone has a sense that sacrifices are evenly and fairly shared, then I think that everybody is good.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Representative Jim Wright (D - Texas), Every member of Congress usually votes as most of his constituents would want. If he didn t he probably wouldn t be a very good representative for that particular slice of Americana. You are a reflection of the popular will most of the time. But there are moments when you have to be the Representative in the sense that you use your own judgment, follow your enlightened conscience and do that which you really honest to God believe is right.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Representative Jim Wright (D - Texas) meets with constituents in his office.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Representative Jim Wright (D - Texas), Here in Congress we ve seen the proliferation of Caucuses. There is a Black Caucus, and there is Hispanic Caucus, there is Italian-American Caucus, there is a Women s Caucus, there s a Freshman Caucus, there s a Sophomore Caucus, there is a City Caucus, and Urban Caucus, a Rural Caucus, there is a Northeastern Caucus, and a Southwestern Caucus and you could go on almost ad infinitum. Now what it all comes to is that these people each are seeking to get their piece of the action, their share of whatever happens up here.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Women in an office sorting through large amounts of mail.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Senator Bob Dole (R - Kansas) That s what we can measure. It s not only been a perceptible change, a very sharp change in constituent requests. Maybe it s because of a lot of modern technology. They read about it. They hear about it. They see it on television. There s instant reporting. They re more aware of when some legislation passes that might effect them. You find yourself, I think, spending time, as you should, but maybe an inordinate amount of time on these areas rather than legislating. And I must say, if you want to be around to legislate, you better spend you time on the constituent matters.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Machine signing letter for a member of Congress.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
DO NOT USE Campaign Ad.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
DO NOT USE Campaign Ad.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
DO NOT USE Campaign Ad.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
DO NOT USE Campaign Ad.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Tip O Neil and general activities on the House Floor.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Senator Bob Dole (R - Kansas), You can t expect people to march in lock step. There are certain disciplines, I guess in the old days prevailed. You ve got a caucus, you ve got a binding caucus and people voted for the party position, whether the Democrats or the Republicans. Now it is lobbying our own members up to the very minute before they vote, whether it is on a farm issue, again the MX or whatever it might be. There are a lot of free spirits.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Camera looking up into the Capitol dome, pan down
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
DO NOT USE Trunbull painting of the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Statues in the Capitol building.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Hodding Carter in the Capitol building interior.
Capitol Journal - Perceptions of Congress
Representative Jim Wright (D - Texas), We re not an undiluted collection of saints. I don t have to tell you that. Neither are we a band of Olympian prophets and seers with all the wisdom of the ages. We may be a little better educated than the norm, harder-working than the average of our constituents, but when you ve said that, we are probably just what the name implies, representative . And Congress is a distillate of the strengths and the weaknesses and the faults and the virtues of the nation at large. Maybe that s what we re supposed to be. We are a mirror of the American nation.