[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 183 (Friday, November 17, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H13275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE--REQUESTING REPORT FROM COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS 
 OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT REGARDING ETHICS COMPLAINTS AGAINST SPEAKER NEWT 
                                GINGRICH

  Mr. PETERSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the 
privileges of the House, and pursuant to rule IX, I offer a resolution 
on behalf of myself and the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Johnston] and 
ask for its immediate consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 277

       Whereas the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is 
     currently considering several ethics complaints against 
     Speaker Newt Gingrich;
       Whereas the Committee has traditionally handled such cases 
     by appointing an independent, non-partisan, outside counsel--
     a procedure which has been adopted in every major ethics case 
     since the Committee was established;
       Whereas, although complaints against Speaker Gingrich have 
     been under consideration for more than 14 months, the 
     Committee has failed to appoint an outside counsel;
       Whereas the Committee has also deviated from other long-
     standing precedents and rules of procedure; including its 
     failure to adopt a Resolution of Preliminary Inquiry before 
     calling third-party witnesses and receiving sworn testimony;
       Whereas these procedural irregularities-and the unusual 
     delay in the appointment of an independent, outside counsel--
     have led to widespread concern that the Committee is making 
     special exceptions for the Speaker of the House;
       Whereas the integrity of the House depends on the 
     confidence of the American people in the fairness and 
     impartiality of the Committee on Standards of Official 
     Conduct.
       Therefore be it resolved that;
       The Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on 
     Standards of Official Conduct should report to the House, no 
     later than November 28, 1995, concerning:
       The status of the Committee's investigation of the 
     complaints against Speaker Gingrich;
       The Committee's disposition with regard to the appointment 
     of a non-partisan outside counsel and the scope of the 
     counsel's investigation:
       A timetable for Committee action on the complaints.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair holds that the resolution gives 
rise to a question of the privileges of the House concerning the 
integrity of its proceedings.

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