[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 90 (Wednesday, July 13, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
          THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE: NO PLACE FOR SENSATIONALISM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, the floor of this House is supposed to be a 
place where people exchange ideas.
  A place where we're supposed to work together to move this country 
forward and work out our differences with open and honest debate.
  It's not a place for sensationalism.
  It's not a place for rumor-mongering.
  And it's not a place for scandal-baiting.
  And even though the rhetoric gets heated at times, even though words 
get exchanged, for the most part since I've been privileged enough to 
serve in this body democracy has been served well by this Chamber.
  But I'm extremely sad to say, Mr. Speaker, that that was not the case 
earlier this morning.
  Mr. Speaker, during a 1-minute speech earlier this morning, we were 
treated to the same kind of scandal-mongering and gutter politics 
that's usually reserved for cheap tabloids.
  Once again, we saw a Member from the other side of the aisle take the 
floor and try to exploit the sad death of Vince Foster as something 
more than a tragic suicide.
  The fact is, Mr. Speaker, that this case has been closed.
  Less than 2 weeks ago, the independent prosecutor who the Republicans 
called for, who the Republicans greeted with such open arms, who is 
himself a Republican, issued a report on this case.
  And that report said: ``the evidence overwhelmingly supports'' the 
conclusion that Mr. Foster committed suicide at Ft. Marcy Park.
  After the independent prosecutor had a team of investigators looking 
into every minute detail of this case, they concluded: ``there is no 
evidence to the contrary.''
  And after the independent prosecutor had numerous lawyers spend 
thousands of hours examining and reexamining all the evidence, they 
found:

       No evidence that issues involving Whitewater, Madison 
     Guaranty, Capitol Management Services or other personal legal 
     matters of the President or Mrs. Clinton were a factor in 
     Foster's suicide.

  That's what the independent prosecutor said. And everyone else 
involved in the case concurred.
  The Park Police who were first on the scene called it a suicide.
  The pathologist panel who examined the body called it a suicide.
  All the participants in the investigation concluded that it was a 
suicide.
  And the independent prosecutor concluded that it was a suicide.
  Even the Washington Post wrote:

       The * * * question whether Vincent Foster's death was a 
     suicide or homicide has been answered in a manner that should 
     satisfy all but the most cynical participants. His death was 
     a suicide.

  Mr. Speaker, those are the facts. And nobody should be exploiting 
this situation to score cheap political points.
  This is a real human tragedy and to turn it into fodder for partisan 
politics is beyond reprehensible and it's beyond the dignity of this 
institution.
  We may have our differences on how to reform health care.
  We may have our differences on the budget.
  We may have our differences on the role of Government.
  But let's not resort to this.
  Let's not turn the floor of this House into an arena for the wretched 
refuse of trashy tabloids.
  Let's not resort to a politics of hate that preys on other people's 
tragedy.
  Let us rise above this and work together to move this country 
forward.
  And let's see Vince Foster for who he was: a good man and a good 
father who did his best to serve this country well, who was faced with 
a pain and a darkness that few of us could ever fathom, and who 
followed that darkness to a bitter, tragic end.
  For the sake of the people who loved Vince Foster, and who still 
mourn his loss I hope we'll let him rest in peace.
  And for the sake of this institution and the dignity of our democracy 
I hope we will never hear rhetoric stoop to this level again on the 
floor of the House of Representatives.

                          ____________________