[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 599 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 599

    Expressing the sense of the House on a question relating to the 
                        privileges of the House.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 14, 1998

Mr. Riggs submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
               Committee on Standards of Official Conduct

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of the House on a question relating to the 
                        privileges of the House.

Whereas on September 9, 1998, the Office of Independent Counsel (OIC) advised 
        the House of Representatives that President William Jefferson Clinton 
        may have engaged in conduct constituting grounds for an impeachment;
Whereas an Independent Counsel is required by section 595 of title 28 of the 
        United States Code to advise the House of Representatives of ``any 
        substantial and credible'' information that may constitute grounds for 
        an impeachment;
Whereas the OIC report sets out 11 separate, possible grounds for impeachment of 
        the President, including 5 involving false statements in civil and 
        criminal judicial proceedings, 4 incidents of obstruction or attempted 
        obstruction of justice relating to those proceedings, 1 instance of 
        witness tampering, and a charge of abuse of authority;
Whereas article I, section 2 of the Constitution of the United States grants the 
        House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment;
Whereas the constitutional prerogatives of the House include its function with 
        respect to impeachment and matters incidental thereto;
Whereas a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives voted 363-63 on 
        September 11, 1998, to refer the OIC report to the House Judiciary 
        Committee (H. Res. 525);
Whereas pursuant to said resolution the House Judiciary Committee has reviewed 
        the OIC report and determined that ``substantial and credible evidence'' 
        exists of 15 possibly impeachable offenses against President Clinton;
Whereas on October 8, 1998, a majority of the House of Representatives voted 
        258-176 to authorize and direct the Committee on the Judiciary to 
        investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the impeachment of 
        William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States (H. Res. 581).
Whereas that same day 197 Democratic members of the House of Representatives 
        voted for the Democratic alternative resolution, in the form of a motion 
        to recommit with instructions, also initiating an impeachment inquiry;
Whereas between the two resolutions described above 429 out of 435 members of 
        the House of Representatives voted in the aggregate to proceed with an 
        inquiry of impeachment;
Whereas Members of Congress have a constitutional obligation to defend and 
        vindicate the rule of law;
Whereas Members of Congress have sworn an oath to faithfully discharge their 
        constitutional duties;
Whereas the Judiciary Committee is planning hearings into the allegations of 
        felony criminal misconduct by the President;
Whereas Members of the House are committed to a bipartisan search for the truth 
        which handles the impeachment inquiry thoroughly and fairly, with both 
        parties working together;
Whereas the impeachment inquiry is a quasi-judicial proceeding and the role of 
        individual Judiciary Committee members has been likened to that of grand 
        jurors;
Whereas Representative Charles Schumer is a senior member of the House Judiciary 
        Committee;
Whereas Representative Schumer voted for the Democratic alternative resolution 
        authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate 
        whether sufficient grounds exist for the impeachment of President 
        Clinton;
Whereas Representative Schumer is a candidate for election to the United States 
        Senate from New York State;
Whereas on October 12, 1998, President Clinton attended a fundraising reception 
        for Representative Schumer's Senate campaign at the Hilton New York 
        Hotel and Towers in New York City;
Whereas on October 12, 1998, President Clinton attended a second fundraising 
        reception for Representative Schumer's Senate campaign at a private 
        residence in Manhattan, New York City;
Whereas according to several media reports the fundraising receptions that 
        President Clinton attended at Representative Schumer's invitation netted 
        approximately $1 million for Representative Schumer's Senate campaign;
Whereas Representative Schumer's actions constitute a conflict of interest that 
        compromises the integrity of the Judiciary Committee's deliberations and 
        reflects poorly on the House of Representatives;
Whereas such actions affect the rights of the House collectively and the dignity 
        and integrity of its proceedings;
Whereas clause 1 of rule 43 of the Code of Official Conduct under the Rules of 
        the House of Representatives states: ``A Member, officer or employee of 
        the House of Representatives shall conduct himself at all times in a 
        manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives;''
Whereas under the Rules of the House Representative Schumer may voluntarily 
        resign his membership on the House Judiciary Committee; and
Whereas under the Rules of the House the House Democratic Caucus may bring a 
        privileged resolution to the House floor to fill a committee membership 
        vacated by a Democratic member of the House: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That Representative Charles Schumer is hereby removed as 
a member of the House Judiciary Committee for the remainder of the 
105th Congress.
                                 <all>