[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 110 (Wednesday, August 10, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      REMOVING TREASURY OFFICIALS

  Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, today eight of my colleagues on the 
Senate Banking Committee joined me in sending a letter to Secretary 
Bentsen. It is a short letter. I am going to take the time to read it 
because it is important.

       Dear Mr. Secretary:
       As you are no doubt aware, the Senate Whitewater hearings 
     revealed that Roger Altman and Jean Hanson were not fully 
     truthful or forthcoming with the Senate Banking Committee on 
     February 24. Thereafter, they continued to be less than 
     truthful in a series of letters to the committee dated March 
     2, 3, and 11.
       Indeed, undisputed testimony by White House witnesses at 
     the Whitewater hearings concluded last week established that 
     White House officials specifically warned Mr. Altman on March 
     1 that his February 24 testimony ``could be misleading.'' In 
     addition, Josh Steiner, your chief of staff, gave testimony 
     during the Senate hearings on Whitewater that the New York 
     Times has described as ``comical,'' referring to his efforts 
     to repudiate his own writings.
       By their actions, these officials have brought dishonor on 
     your office, and we believe their continued service at 
     Treasury cannot be productive. They have irretrievably lost 
     the confidence of this committee. We hope that you will act 
     swiftly to remove these officials and restore the 
     Department's standards.

  As I say, eight of my colleagues joined with me.
  Secretary Bentsen has an obligation. It is not good enough to wait to 
see what the signal from the White House is. It is the Secretary's 
stewardship that is in question, and in terms of the actions of these 
three people who serve at his pleasure, I believe that their swift 
removal is the only thing that will restore the honor and credibility 
of the Department.
  Mr. President, I have noticed something of late, and it has to do 
with Whitewater, but it goes beyond. Every time someone appears to be 
at odds with the President, the White House immediately has their 
minions running out there, whether it is DNC, whether it is Members of 
the Congress, whether they take to the floor of this Chamber or the 
other, and they look to attack the character and undermine the 
credibility of the person who may be at odds or have a difference of 
opinion. It has been going on and it continues to go on. This is their 
modus operandi. They try to be disingenuous after the President's 
lawyer, Mr. Bennett, who is the attack dog, starts. Oh, we disavow. And 
then one Member of the Congress after another.
  It is pretty partisan. You cannot suggest to me that some of those 
Members up there attacking the people have not been part and parcel of 
this operation. They attacked Jay Stephens, the former U.S. attorney in 
Washington. They attacked the new independent prosecutor, Judge Kenneth 
Starr, and now they are even attacking the three-judge court that 
appointed independent prosecutor Starr. This game has gotten tired and 
old. It is their little tricks.
  The President's lawyer, Robert Bennett, and the White House 
operatives should know better. I think it is about time we call them 
the way we see them, and that is the way this Senator sees them. I for 
one believe we have an obligation to stand up and not submit to this 
new kind of attempt to still the voices of people who have a difference 
of opinion.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.

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