[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 107 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. J. RES. 107


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 5, 1998

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the award of attorneys' fees, 
 costs, and sanctions of $285,864.78 ordered by United States District 
 Judge Royce C. Lamberth on December 18, 1997, should not be paid with 
                            taxpayer funds.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the President's Task Force on National Health Care 
        Reform, convened by President Clinton in 1993, was charged with 
        calling together officials of the Federal Government and others 
        to debate critical health issues of concern to the American 
        public;
            (2) the Task Force convened behind closed doors and 
        inappropriately included individuals who were not employees of 
        the Federal Government;
            (3) United States District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled in 
        Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc., et al. 
        versus Hillary Rodham Clinton, et al., that representatives of 
        the administration engaged in ``dishonest'' and 
        ``reprehensible'' conduct in characterizing the membership of 
        the Task Force;
            (4) Judge Royce C. Lamberth on the basis of such conduct 
        ruled against the defendants and ordered them to pay 
        $285,864.78 in attorneys' fees, costs, and sanctions for the 
        plaintiffs; and
            (5) American taxpayers should not be held responsible for 
        the inappropriate conduct of Federal Government officials and 
        lawyers involved with the Task Force.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that the award of $285,864.78 in 
attorneys' fees, costs, and sanctions that Judge Royce C. Lamberth 
ordered the defendants to pay in Association of American Physicians and 
Surgeons, Inc., et al. versus Hillary Rodham Clinton, et al., should 
not be paid with taxpayer funds.

            Passed the House of Representatives February 4, 1998.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.