[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 101 (Tuesday, July 20, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H5987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CLINTON NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER UNDER INVESTIGATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 20, 2004, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, in front of the grand edifice known as our 
National Archives, where this Nation's records and a good bit of its 
written history is kept, are these words: ``What is past is prologue.'' 
And yet today, in the wake of last night's wire service and subsequent 
press reports, perhaps that should be amended to read, ``What is past 
is purloined'' or ``What is secret is stolen.''
  Mr. Speaker, press accounts today indicate that former National 
Security Adviser Sandy Berger is the focus of a criminal investigation 
dealing with the theft of classified documents in the care of our 
National Archives. It seems that former National Security Adviser 
Berger, at the direction of former President Clinton, was sent to the 
National Archives to review documents that might be germane to the 
mission of the bipartisan 9/ll Commission examining the events of 9/11 
and the security situation and intelligence situation which our country 
confronts.
  Mr. Speaker, according to press accounts, former National Security 
Adviser Berger took copies of some documents. By some accounts he 
stuffed them into his pants, into his pants pockets, and he left the 
National Archives with secret material.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, in a rather pathetic effort at defense, Mr. 
Berger's attorney said that his client's actions were inadvertent. I 
thank my colleague from Kansas for handing me the unabridged dictionary 
of the English language from which I will read today: ``Inadvertent: 
Unintentional, not attentive, heedless of, pertaining to, or 
characterized by a lack of attention.'' Inadvertent.
  That is curious. The former National Security Adviser inadvertently 
putting classified documents into his pockets; inadvertently leaving 
the archives with classified material? Oh yes, his legal counsel went 
on to say that our former National Security Adviser was sloppy. Sloppy? 
Inadvertent? No, Mr. Speaker, there was a purpose to what Mr. Berger 
did. What was Mr. Berger, Mr. Speaker, trying to keep from the American 
people and from the 9/11 Commission?
  It seems to me, Mr. Speaker, before any report is released, we should 
find out exactly what documents were taken and exactly what those 
documents indicated. This is not an inadvertent act. This is not an act 
of sloppiness. It is an act that is criminal, and it carries with it 
not only consequences for Mr. Berger, I daresay it carries with it, 
sadly, perhaps even deadly consequences for the United States.
  It is not sloppiness that led to a lack of security. It is not an 
inadvertent act. There are purposes behind those who would attempt to 
shield the truth, and those purposes need to be determined and the 
American people need to be aware of what action was taken or what 
action was not taken by those who served in positions of trust, by 
those who purport to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
  And, even at this time of year, where inevitably the call from the 
left will be that this is some effort to politicize what has 
transpired, Mr. Speaker, this is too important for politics. This is 
national survival.
  No, what is past is prologue. And, Mr. Speaker, I pray it is not 
prologue to yet another attack.

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