[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 131 (Friday, September 26, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ON A RESPECTFUL APPROACH TO INQUIRY INTO MEMBER'S TRAVEL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California [Ms. Waters] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I came to the floor because I wanted to make 
sure that any attempts to try and answer for the gentleman from Alabama 
[Mr. Hilliard] or to describe what he may or may not have done be 
characterized in a way that would not indict him without his having an 
opportunity to deal with this issue. He is not here.
  As chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus, I pay special 
attention, of course, to those members of the Caucus. I wish that they 
always be represented in the right way, and whenever there appears to 
be a problem unfolding, I want to make sure that we do everything that 
we can to see to it that they are handled with respect.
  Mr. Speaker, I have talked with the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. 
Bachus] about this, and I am convinced that he simply, in the interests 
of his constituents in the State of Alabama, is simply attempting to 
have some questions answered that have been raised by people in 
Alabama. I respect that.
  I do wish, however, that this issue not become something that is 
debated on the floor while in fact there is a complaint now pending in 
the Ethics Committee. Normally, if there is a complaint, it would be 
handled in the body that is constructed to handle these kinds of 
concerns. It is a little bit unusual to talk about some protracted 
debate either in committee or on the floor.
  I would hope that something happens between now and next week that 
would cause this to be not only deposited as it is in the Ethics 
Committee, but discussed there. I suppose we could end up discussing 
these kinds of concerns ad nauseam.
  As I reviewed, kind of, the record over a period of time about 
travel, I guess there have been some questions from time to time about 
travel to Cuba, even at one point to Vietnam and other places, where I 
think we have some restrictions or sanctions, but it has not occupied 
the committee or the House. If there is a complaint filed, it is taken 
up there.
  So let me just say that I rise today on behalf of the gentleman from 
Alabama [Mr. Hilliard], to say that certainly he has not had the 
opportunity to have his say; that he has responded to some inquiries 
that have been made in an unofficial way, I think, by the State 
Department. The State Department has made it clear they are not 
investigating him. They simply have almost a perfunctory duty to raise 
some questions about travel to certain areas where there may be some 
restrictions.
  As far as we know, the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] has done 
nothing wrong. He is not in violation of anything. Even when sometimes 
it appears that there is travel to restricted places, there are ways 
and waivers which allow for travel if they do not violate certain 
things, like the use of passports, money transactions.

                              {time}  1415

  So based on what I know, I am convinced that the gentleman from 
Alabama's actions are honorable and that he has not in any way violated 
any laws or the responsibilities and trust that are placed in him by 
virtue of his being a Member of Congress.
  So I wanted to be here today to say that I respect the gentleman's 
concern. I do think that there is some continued discussion that can 
take place about how to proceed with this, and with that I would 
happily be involved with the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] next 
week to see how we can move this in a fashion that we can all feel good 
about.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. WATERS. I yield to the gentleman from Alabama.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I respect what the gentlewoman said, and I 
agree with what she has said in part. I would say that there are many 
questions because we simply do not know, we have not had an 
explanation. And until we have an explanation, it is hard for us to 
make final judgment, and that is basically what I have asked for.
  Ms. WATERS. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, not that I am the legal 
adviser on this, but if I were to advise him, now that a complaint has 
been filed with the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, I would 
confine my explanations to the body that is taking a look at the issue, 
should they decide to do that, and I would wait to see how they were 
going to handle it, rather than trying to come to the floor and present 
a defense when he has not really been charged with anything, or to 
provide an explanation that may complicate proceedings that may be 
underway or may get underway.
  So I wish that we would not take his lack of a response to the 
gentleman's request as an unwillingness to discuss it; but rather, now, 
I think he is put in a position where he has to make some decisions 
about what is the appropriate response and in what manner that will be 
done.

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