[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 28 (Monday, March 16, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1976-S1977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CRISIS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

  Mr. ASHCROFT. Madam President, the events surrounding the President 
of the United States and the White House of the United States find us 
in a peculiar and uncomfortable situation. It is, however, more than 
peculiar, and it is more than discomforting. It may, in fact, be 
disabling. The President has sought to defend his conduct and to defend 
his circumstance by saying it's OK to be able to become 
compartmentalized or to segment his personal life from his public life. 
At least this is the spin which comes from the White House. I perhaps 
should not say that that comes from the President's own mouth.
  I think the Congress has sort of bought into the compartmentalization 
of this crisis at the White House. We discuss it on the talk shows, we 
discuss it in the cloakrooms, but we don't discuss it on the Senate 
floor.
  The new allegations against President Clinton are grave. They carry 
serious implications, not just for the President but for the Nation as 
a whole, and it is time for us to consider them in the U.S. Senate.
  Kathleen Willey is a longtime friend of the President. She was a 
strong Clinton supporter. She was his employee in

[[Page S1977]]

the White House. She accused this President of sexual assault just 
outside the Oval Office and of lying under oath. The President's 
response has been to tell us only that he is ``mystified'' and 
``disappointed.''
  Mystified and disappointed? My thoughts exactly. I am mystified that 
the President has refused to account fully for his actions and 
disappointed that President Clinton would sacrifice the Office of the 
Presidency in order to promote his own personal concerns or save 
himself.
  Back in January when the Monica Lewinsky scandal erupted, I said if 
the allegations were true, the President had disgraced himself and his 
office and should resign. I stand here this afternoon to renew my call. 
If Mrs. Willey's charges are true, then the President should resign.
  Permit me to make three observations about Mrs. Willey's accusations 
or charges.
  First, the Willey allegations increase the likelihood that the House 
will be forced to open impeachment proceedings. The Clinton-Willey 
conflict brings the murky details of this sordid affair into the light 
of open day. The President is accused of committing sexual assault and 
lying under oath. Mrs. Willey and the President have sworn to 
irreconcilable versions of the facts. These charges are serious, and 
they must be resolved. They cannot both be telling the truth. And 
America cannot walk away.
  The Congress, for our part, must have the courage to do what we know 
to be right. The alleged conduct, if true, I believe constitutes an 
impeachable offense. Congress should stop looking at the polls and 
start looking at the Constitution, stop thinking about self-
preservation and start thinking about how justice can best be served. 
Madam President, justice should never be denied simply because it is 
uncomfortable.
  Second, the White House must drop the myth that the President is not 
distracted by the maelstrom of allegations which are surrounding him. 
The President has lost control of his personal legal problems. Let us 
dispense with the fiction that the President is able to work in 
``compartments,'' all the while hacking and clubbing at Ken Starr and 
the officials charged with learning the truth. Instead, he has chosen 
to stonewall. He now stands accused of an impeachable offense by a 
person who was his friend, political supporter, and employee.
  Here is the truth. It is not possible for the President to do his job 
while dealing with this tide of accusations and innuendo. No one could 
do the job well. And neither can he. Already, the Washington Post has 
reported that the President behaves like a person overtaken with anger 
at Kenneth Starr. Already, David Broder and other respected 
commentators have suggested that the growing scandal is damaging the 
President's ability to lead.
  Finally, President Clinton's moral leadership has been destroyed. It 
can be regained only if he proves that these charges are false, if he 
clears the air here, if he makes a complete statement understanding to 
the American people, and assures them of his situation.
  I had hoped that Bill Clinton would address these charges through a 
direct and candid accounting to his employers, the American people. 
But, yes, he did choose to stonewall. He cannot hope to regain his 
moral authority to lead unless he makes a full and candid accounting to 
the people, and he does so immediately. It is inevitable that the truth 
will prevail. And I would prevail on the President to account fully for 
his actions without further delay.
  A final point. These allegations are serious. They deal with charges 
of perjury, obstruction of justice, and sexual assault. For Kathleen 
Willey's sake, conservatives ought not be rejoicing, and we ought not 
to be laughing. I deeply regret having joked about the Lewinsky affair 
in remarks that I made earlier. It was inappropriate, and I was wrong. 
There is nothing funny here. The allegations of Kathleen Willey make 
clear to all of us that there is nothing funny here. This is not 
comedy; this is tragedy.
  Mrs. Willey's appearance last night on the CBS program ``60 Minutes'' 
I think exposed America to an individual who was vulnerable, who was in 
distress, who was in need, and trusted the President of the United 
States. And it is very clear that she thoroughly believes that her 
trust was betrayed in a substantial and significant way.
  A betrayal of trust by the President of the United States is an 
important matter, particularly if it relates to the way in which his 
office is conducted, particularly if it relates to an individual who is 
particularly vulnerable, an employee, particularly if it relates to an 
incident that takes place in the context of the White House and the 
Oval Office. And I found her testimony to be compelling and convincing. 
I believe it makes, again, the clear case for the necessity of the 
President to explain fully his situation to the American people.

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