[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 15, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                               WHITEWATER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. Johnson of Georgia]. Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of February 11, 1994, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 
Boehner] is recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, yesterday the President 
of the United States said at a Democratic fund raiser in Boston--he 
decided to use the occasion to attack the Republican Party, and he 
attacked the Republican Party as the party of no--no to this and no to 
that--and he began to blame the Republican Party for his problems with 
regard to Whitewater.
  Well, Mr. Speaker, with regard to the party of no, if he is calling 
the Republican Party the party of no because we are saying no to his 
health care reform that would socialize medicine, case rationing and 
put Government in charge of the Nation's health care, he is right. And 
if he is calling us the party of no because we do not want watered-down 
welfare reform that will not end welfare as we know it, that will do 
nothing more than expand the welfare state, he is right. And if he is 
saying that we are the party of no on the budget that called for higher 
taxes on American families, he is right. And if he is calling us the 
party of no on real crime reform; the bill that he supported last year 
would weaken the penalties against drug dealers, he is right, and it 
would have been legislative malpractice for Republicans to put aside 
our principles only to work with the party in power at the White House. 
But in each of these cases the Republican Party has met their duty as 
the opposition's party and have supported alternatives, real 
alternatives, to his programs.
  In health care, Mr. Speaker, the Michel bill, supported by over 140 
House Republicans is a bill that has more cosponsors with regard to 
health care than any other health care bill that has been entered. With 
regard to welfare reform, Mr. Speaker, the House Republican proposal 
was put together and introduced last September. The only comprehensive 
welfare reform bill to be put into the hopper in this session of 
Congress, it will promote work over dependency. It will take incentives 
that break up American families out of the current system. And with 
regard to the budget, Mr. Speaker, we have had a real budget 
alternative, not only last year, but again last week, for this year, 
and this year's version of the House Republican budget would give every 
American family a $500 tax credit per child to help foster the families 
in America. It would also bring real reform of Government so that we 
can begin to meet the dream of all of us, a smaller, less costly, more 
effective Federal Government. And with regard to crime we have a real 
crime bill here in the House, one that will put more cops on the 
streets, one that would build more prisons, one that would add tougher 
penalties and one that would put more money in to rehabilitate those 
prisoners that have a chance for rehabilitation.
  Mr. Speaker, we stood together with the President last year for his 
toughest legislative victory, and that was over NAFTA. We put our 
partisan differences aside, and we stood toe and toe with the President 
to move NAFTA through this House. But it seems that the White House's 
strategy is emerging with regard to Whitewater, and that is just to 
blame Republicans.
  Republicans were not involved in making Whitewater happen. Bill and 
Hillary Clinton, and their friends in Little Rock, caused Whitewater to 
occur. The media have been after this for over 2 years, and it is the 
media that is driving this.
  Why? Because it has become clear to the media that the White House is 
not being forthcoming in delivering the facts to the American people. 
Neither was the Clinton campaign in 1992 when this issue first 
surfaced, and if, in fact, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton in 1992 would have put 
the facts forward, this issue may not still be here today.
  But Congress has the responsibility in our Constitution, as elected 
by the people of this country, to provide oversight, oversight over 
Government, and Congress has a role in looking at this issue and 
bringing before the American people the facts.
  Yes, there is a special prosecutor. We ought to allow him to do his 
job. The Congress also has another responsibility, and that is to also 
bring those facts before the American people. Mr. Fiske is looking at 
criminal activity. I think the American people want the Congress of the 
United States to hold the President to a higher standard than nothing 
more than criminal culpability. The President has a responsibility to 
stand above that, to be the moral authority of Government in our 
country. That is the role that Congress ought to be doing, is holding 
the President responsible for his conduct and activity, and we have a 
rightful role.
  But more so, Mr. Speaker, let me say this:
  The President himself and Mrs. Clinton should not have to endure 
this, nor should they require the American people to endure this. They 
could come forward today and lay the facts out on the table so that we 
in this country and our system of government are not jeopardized 
because we are going to allow the media and a special prosecutor to lay 
all of this out.
  Put the facts before the American people, and end the sad day in our 
history.

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