[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 22, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         SENATE RESOLUTION 229

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to Democrat 
efforts to limit the appropriate, constitutional role of the Senate in 
conducting oversight hearings into the Whitewater affair.
  The majority leader has characterized Republican efforts to have fair 
hearings as, ``raw partisan politics.'' But I would argue that those 
very strong words much better describe the efforts by partisans on the 
other side of the aisle to unreasonably limit the scope of hearings 
which we approved 98 to 2 over 3 months ago.
  Mr. President, I understand that many Democrats say they ``want the 
truth to be told,'' but I am beginning to wonder how serious they are. 
It is one thing to say you are in favor of hearings, and quite another 
to help establish a fair process to make fair hearings a reality.
  The appointment of a special counsel to investigate the Whitewater 
controversy received bipartisan support. The D'Amato-Dole effort was 
careful to ensure that there would be proper consultation and 
coordination with the special counsel. The hearing process we advocated 
would not inhibit his investigation nor jeopardize his findings in any 
way. It would, however, permit Congress to properly do its job and to 
meet its oversight responsibilities.
  What I find truly puzzling is that during those ``ugly dark days'' of 
the Reagan-Bush years, Congress held 25 hearings on alleged wrongdoing. 
Never was the scope of those hearings so limited. Most of those 
hearings were conducted with the full support of both republicans and 
Democrats. For 6 of those years, indeed, Republicans controlled this 
Chamber.
  Yet the majority leader calls the effort to hold fair hearings on 
Whitewater ``raw partisan politics.'' I am under no illusion that 
politics does not often play a part in how things are done in this 
body. However, conducting fair hearings which are not unreasonably 
limited on Whitewater, like oversight hearings in other areas, is the 
nature of our job here. Politics need not have reared its head in this 
debate.
  In 1986 and 1987, both Republicans and Democrats called for a select 
committee to investigate Iran-Contra. Republicans and Democrats at that 
time were able to put party differences aside and we agreed that it was 
in the best interest of the American people to conduct hearings. 
Finding out the truth was the only thing that mattered. We didn't try 
to ``muzzle'' Senators from asking important questions.
  Unfortunately, it seems that many Democrats have decided that 
protecting a President of the same party has a higher priority. These 
are many of the very same Democrats who supported numerous 
congressional hearings between 1981 and 1992. We did not limit the 
scope of those hearings. So please spare us all of the prattle, babble, 
and patronizing riffle about how Republicans are working with only one 
motive, that being politics. The sudden change of heart among Democrats 
is proof enough that the shoe fits the other foot more comfortably.
  Mr. President, Republicans have been asking for fair hearings since 
the snow-filled, icy-cold days of January, and we are now well into the 
hot and humid days of June. Today, we still do not have even the 
simplest explanations of the Whitewater matter.
  In the 1992 elections, the Clinton campaign stoked voter outrage over 
the status quo. We all remember the dominating themes of ``change'' and 
``reform.''
  Many people thought if Bill Clinton were elected, our tomorrows would 
be filled with hope and change and reform. If this blatant exercise in 
foot-dragging is the ``reform'' that we are likely to continue to see 
during the rest of the administration, then the American people will 
once again experience disillusionment over the ever-widening gap 
between rhetoric and reality.
  For those who say that ``Whitewater is a distraction from the real 
issues,'' think again. This may be a very real issue. We need to know 
more about what laws may have been violated by those in the highest 
levels of power in our country.
  We must do our jobs as Republicans and Democrats in Congress with the 
same fortitude that we did during the Reagan and Bush years. We must 
never be selective in our judgment and must always strive to find the 
truth--no matter who may be resident in the White House.

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