[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 27 (Friday, March 11, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                               WHITEWATER

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I heard the majority leader raise a number 
of questions just a few moments ago, and I thought it might be 
appropriate for the record just to respond.
  First, he commented on the lack of policies of the Republicans. 
Granted, we do not have a President to set forth policies, but many of 
us in this body are working very hard on our side and in cooperation 
with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle on health care, on a 
wide range of issues. We do have health care plans. He asked if we had 
an economic plan. I believe the economy is benefiting now from the 
economic plans put in place in the 1980's and the early 1990's by 
Presidents Reagan and Bush. The long-term structural adjustments are 
leading to the economic recoveries we have now.
  Mr. President, with respect to the issue of Whitewater, I was 
delighted to hear the majority leader say that there will be 
congressional hearings. I was concerned that he suggested the questions 
which are being raised are being raised now only for political 
purposes.
  I just want to call the attention of my colleagues to the fact that 
there was a special investigation set up that was focusing on 
activities in Arkansas, and then on the tragic death of a top White 
House aide. But until we had a banking hearing last week in which I and 
a number of my colleagues asked questions, we had not raised the issue 
of what has now become a major concern.
  In that committee meeting in banking, I asked Mr. Altman how the 
White House was notified of the referral. Mr. Altman said:

       They were not notified by the RTC, to the best of my 
     knowledge.

  I replied:

       Nobody in your agency to your knowledge advised the White 
     House staff that this was going to be a major, this could be 
     a major source of concern?

  Mr. Altman replied:

       Not to my knowledge.

  My question was followed by further inquiries by Senators D'Amato, 
Domenici, and Gramm. As a result of that, more and more information 
came out about White House meetings involving the general counsel to 
the Treasury and the counsel to the White House.
  Since that time, 10 subpoenas have been issued. The White House 
counsel has resigned. I believe that we have attempted, in raising 
these questions, to exercise our responsibility of congressional 
oversight. I believe we can continue and we should continue to do so 
without granting immunity, without taking any steps that would 
interfere with the internal criminal investigations.
  I believe we can do that, and I urge that we be permitted to go ahead 
with a full-scale inquiry so that we can raise the cloud that has 
descended over this town and this administration.
  The special counsel will seek to find out whether there are criminal 
matters which should be pursued. But we in Congress have a much broader 
responsibility to see if the ethical standards of the high officials in 
the executive branch have been observed, and to determine whether there 
has been a full and accurate accounting; and whether we in Congress and 
the American people ought to know more about the responses of the 
executive branch to the investigation.
  This to me is a vitally important matter of ongoing congressional 
oversight. I hope that we will be able to move forward sooner rather 
than later to pursue that responsibility.
  Mr. President, I thank the Chair.
  I thank the distinguished President pro tempore.
  Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Byrd].

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