[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8495]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HOLBROOKE'S HONORARIA

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw my colleagues' 
attention to what President Clinton promised would be the most ethical 
administration in the history of our Nation.
  The Washington Times lead story today details how special envoy to 
the President, Richard Holbrooke, in the middle of critical 
negotiations with Yugoslav President Milosevic in 1998, broke off those 
talks to deliver two speeches in which he was paid $40,000.
  Now, there is a pesky Federal ethics rule that says for government 
employees, including unpaid presidential appointees, they are barred 
from accepting side compensation that relates to the employee's 
official duties.
  Quote, just as his talks reached what Mr. Holbrooke said was a 
dangerous moment, he flew to Athens to give a speech about Kosovo, 
picking up $16,000 in payment. A few months later, Mr. Holbrooke did 
the same thing, abandoning diplomatic efforts in the middle of an air-
strike deadline to deliver a speech in New York for $24,000.
  Mr. President, honestly, based upon past comments, he would be the 
perfect candidate to be Ambassador to the United Nations.

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