[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 70 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 70

 To establish a select committee to investigate CIA involvement in the 
 financing, distribution and promulgation of crack cocaine and the use 
                of any proceeds to support the Contras.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 1997

 Ms. Millender-McDonald submitted the following resolution; which was 
                   referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 To establish a select committee to investigate CIA involvement in the 
 financing, distribution and promulgation of crack cocaine and the use 
                of any proceeds to support the Contras.

    Resolved, 
    (a) There is established in the House of Representatives a select 
committee to be known as the Select Committee to Investigate CIA 
Involvement in Crack Cocaine Sales in South Central Los Angeles 
(hereinafter referred to in this resolution as the ``select 
committee'').
    (b) The select committee shall be composed of 27 Members of the 
House to be appointed by the Speaker, one of whom he shall designate as 
chairman, and one of whom he shall designate as vice chairman. Not more 
than 15 members of the select committee shall be of the same political 
party. Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the select committee 
shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment 
was made.
    (c) The select committee is authorized and directed to conduct a 
full and complete investigation and study, and to make such findings 
and recommendations to the House as the select committee deems 
appropriate, regarding the alleged involvement of the Central 
Intelligence Agency in the financing, distribution, and sale of crack 
cocaine in south central Los Angeles and the surrounding area and its 
further involvement in the use of profits from such alleged activities 
to fund anti-government forces in Nicaragua.
    (d) One-third of the members of the select committee shall 
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business other than the 
reporting of a matter, which shall require a majority of the committee 
to be actually present, except that the select committee may designate 
a lesser number, but not less than two, as a quorum for the purpose of 
holding hearings to take testimony. When a quorum for any particular 
purpose is present, general proxies may be counted for that purpose. 
The select committee may sit while the House is reading a measure for 
amendment under the five-minute rule. The rules of the House shall 
govern the select committee where not inconsistent with this 
resolution. The select committee shall adopt additional written rules, 
which shall be public, to govern its procedures, which shall not be 
inconsistent with this resolution or the rules of the House. Such rules 
may govern the conduct of the depositions, interviews, and hearings of 
the select committee, including the persons present.
    (e) The select committee is authorized to sit and act during the 
present Congress at such times and places within the United States, 
including any Commonwealth or possession thereof, or in any other 
country, whether the House is in session, has recessed, or has 
adjourned; to require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance and 
testimony of such witnesses, the furnishing of information by 
interrogatory, and the production of such books, records, 
correspondence, memoranda, papers, documents, calendars, recordings, 
data compilations from which information can be obtained, tangible 
objects, and other things and information of any kind as it deems 
necessary, including all intelligence materials however classified; and 
to obtain evidence in other appropriate countries with the cooperation 
of their governments. Unless otherwise determined by the select 
committee the chairman, upon consultation with the ranking minority 
member, or the select committee, shall authorize and issue subpoenas. 
Subpoenas shall be issued under the seal of the House and attested by 
the Clerk, and may be served by any persons designated by the chairman 
or any member. Provisions may be included in the rules and process of 
the select committee to prevent the disclosure of committee demands for 
information. The select committee may request investigations, reports, 
and other assistance from any agency of the executive, legislative, and 
judicial branches of the Federal Government.
    (f) The chairman, or in his absence the vice chairman, or in their 
absence a member designated by the chairman, shall preside at all 
meetings and hearings of the select committee. All meetings and 
hearings of the committee shall be conducted in open session, unless a 
majority of members of the select committee voting, there being in 
attendance the requisite number required for the purpose of hearings to 
take testimony, vote to close a meeting or hearing. Pursuant to rule 
XI(3)(f)(2), coverage of testimony of subpoenaed witnesses will be 
limited at their request, unless a majority of members of the select 
committee voting, there being in attendance the requisite number 
required for the conduct of business, vote otherwise.
    (g) The chairman, upon consultation with the ranking minority 
member, may employ and fix the compensation of such clerks, experts, 
consultants, technicians, attorneys, investigators, and clerical and 
stenographic assistants as it considers necessary to carry out the 
purposes of this resolution. No more than three such staff may receive 
compensation corresponding to Executive Level IV. The select committee 
shall be deemed a committee of the House for all purposes of law, 
including rule XI(2)(n), and sections 6005, 1505, and 1621 of title 18, 
section 192 of title 2, 1754(b)(1)(B)(ii) of title 22, and section 
734(a) of title 31, United States Code. The select committee may 
reimburse the members of its staff for travel, subsistence, and other 
necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of the duties 
vested in the select committee, other than expenses in connection with 
meetings of the select committee held in the District of Columbia. 
Staff of the House or joint committees, at the direction of their 
Members, committee chairmen, or the Speaker, as appropriate, and upon 
request of the select committee, may serve as associate staff to the 
select committee for designated purposes. Associate staff shall be 
deemed staff of the select committee to the extent necessary for those 
designated purposes.
    (h) Unless otherwise determined by the select committee the 
chairman, upon consultation with the ranking minority member, or the 
select committee, may authorize the taking of affidavits, and of 
depositions pursuant to notice or subpoena, by a Member or by 
designated staff, under oath administered by a Member or a person 
otherwise authorized by law to administer oaths. Deposition and 
affidavit testimony shall be deemed to have been taken in Washington, 
DC, before the select committee once filed there with the clerk of the 
committee for the committee's use. Unless otherwise directed by the 
committee, all depositions, affidavits, and other materials received in 
the investigation shall be considered nonpublic until received by the 
select committee, except that all such material shall, unless otherwise 
directed by the committee, be available for use by the Members of the 
select committee in open session.
    (i) The select committee shall be authorized to respond to any 
judicial or other process, or to make any applications to court, upon 
consultation with the Speaker consistent with rule L.
    (j) The select committee may submit to standing committees, 
including the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, specific 
matters within their jurisdiction, and may request that such committees 
pursue such matters further. Committees pursuing such requested 
inquiries may, in turn, receive the continuing assistance, consistent 
with the select committee's own jurisdiction, of the select committee's 
legal process, personnel, and records. Committees which pursue or have 
pursued inquiries, during the previous or current Congress, within the 
subjects of the select committee investigation shall furnish the select 
committee with copies of all testimony and documents.
    (k) There shall be paid out of applicable accounts of the House 
such sums as may be necessary for the expenses of the select committee. 
Such payments shall be paid on vouchers signed by the chairman and 
approved in the manner directed by the Committee on House Oversight. 
Amounts made available under this subsection shall be expended in 
accordance with regulations prescribed by the Committee on House 
Oversight of the House.
    (l) The select committee shall report to the House the final 
results of its investigation and study as soon as practicable during 
the present Congress. Following the filing of its final report, it 
shall have one month before the authority herein shall expire in order 
to close its affairs, including provision of assistance to committees 
pursuing remaining inquiries, transmittal of records to other 
committees, and storage of its remaining records by the Clerk of the 
House, who may, as directed by the select committee, store records in 
secure facilities of the intelligence community pursuant to agreement 
retaining control of access by the House.
                                 <all>