[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 125 (Monday, July 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11039-S11040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     ACTION OF THE ETHICS COMMITTEE

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I was disappointed to learn that the 
Ethics Committee has voted 3 to 3 and is deadlocked on the issue of 
public hearings in the Packwood case, with three Republicans voting 
against public hearings and three Democrats voting in favor of public 
hearings.
  I have stated oftentimes on this floor that if that would be the 
case, I was going to offer the amendment, and I stand by that. I will 
do that because not holding open public hearings in a case that has 
reached this serious a level would be the first time in history that 
the Senate has failed to do so.
  And, Mr. President, I have just wracked my brain. What is it about 
this case that should give a Senator the right to have his case behind 
closed doors? The only thing I can come up with is the more 
embarrassing you make your transgressions, the more likely you are to 
get to be heard behind closed doors. That is a horrible message. Or, if 
it involves sexual misconduct, sexual misconduct, mistreatment of 
women, or, if this is done by a woman toward men, misconduct of human 
beings because of their sexuality, that you get to have those hearings 
behind closed doors. What an incredible message the Republican members 
of the Ethics Committee have sent to the American people today. I 
cannot figure out any other reason.
  I think it is important to note that the Senator in question got his 
opportunity to appear before a committee in person to talk about what 
he thought discrepancies might be in the case and to look at those 
Senators eye to eye. But the women, 17 of them in 18 different cases, 
do not get that chance.
  I hope the American people are following this saga. It is 
extraordinary. The women do not have a chance to come before that 
committee and look in their eyes and talk about their humiliation and 
their pain.
  I have to tell you something. When it comes to this issue, and men 
and women who have had this experience will tell you, you never forget 
it whether it was 3 days ago or 30 years ago. It is that humiliating. 
You remember every single detail. You remember how you felt. And it 
stays with you for your whole life.
  These women do not have the same chance that this privileged Senator 
did to look in the eyes of the Ethics Committee members and tell them 
from their heart what transpired. I think this is wrong.
  Now, on the bright side, the committee voted 6 to 0 to distribute all 
the documents related to the case. That is my understanding, all the 
depositions. That is a good sign. We can at least see what the 
depositions say, what the documents say, about the sexual misconduct, 
about the allegations of tampering with evidence, about the allegations 
of trying to get a spouse a job related to lower alimony payments. We 
will get to see the documents.
  It is a good thing because I heard directly from one of my Republican 
colleagues that he was able to see some of the depositions, and he is 
not even on the committee. It is a good thing we are all getting a 
chance to see the documents and the depositions.
  But, Mr. President, I have to tell you, this is like justice half 
way. You see the depositions but you do not really get to see the 
people, and they do not get to tell their side. That is like canceling 
a trial and just deciding the guilt or innocence based on paperwork. 
That is not justice. That is justice half way. That is one-sided 
justice.
  I know that not all of my colleagues are very excited about the fact 
that I am going to be offering an amendment, but I know that each and 
every one of my colleagues in their heart believes, if they felt 
strongly about this, they would do it as well because it is about 

[[Page S 11040]]
the honor of the Senate. It is about the traditions of the Senate. It 
is about a signal we will send if we allow this deadlock to continue.
  Mr. President, I will not take any more of the Senate's time on this 
matter. There will be much more to say on it. I will at this time yield 
my time to the Senator from Rhode Island if he wishes to take advantage 
of the little extra time.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. PELL. I thank the Senator very much.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  

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