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[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 229 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 229

 Authorizing oversight hearings by the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 16 (legislative day, June 7), 1994

 Mr. Mitchell submitted the following resolution; which was ordered to 
                       be placed on the calendar

                June 21 (legislative day, June 7), 1994

                        Considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Authorizing oversight hearings by the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SCOPE OF THE HEARINGS.

    The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (referred to 
as the ``committee'') shall--
            (1) conduct hearings into whether improper conduct occurred 
        regarding--
                    (A) communications between officials of the White 
                House and the Department of the Treasury or the 
                Resolution Trust Corporation relating to the Whitewater 
                Development Corporation and the Madison Guaranty 
                Savings and Loan Association;
                    (B) the Park Service Police investigation into the 
                death of White House Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster; and
                    (C) the way in which White House officials handled 
                documents in the office of White House Deputy Counsel 
                Vincent Foster at the time of his death; and
            (2)(A) make such findings of fact as are warranted and 
        appropriate;
            (B) make such recommendations, including recommendations 
        for new legislation and amendments to existing laws and any 
        administrative or other actions, as the committee may determine 
        to be necessary or desirable; and
            (C) fulfill the Constitutional oversight and informing 
        function of the Congress with respect to the matters described 
        in this section.
The hearings authorized by this resolution shall begin on a date 
determined by the Majority Leader, in consultation with the Minority 
Leader, but no later than the earlier of July 29, 1994, or within 30 
days after the conclusion of the first phase of the independent 
counsel's investigation.

SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP, ORGANIZATION, AND JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE FOR 
              PURPOSES OF THE HEARINGS.

    (a)(1) For the sole purpose of conducting the hearings authorized 
by this resolution, the committee shall consist of--
            (A) the members of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
        Urban Affairs, who shall, in serving as members of the 
        committee, reflect the legislative and oversight interests of 
        other committees of the Senate with a jurisdictional interest 
        (if any) in the hearings authorized in paragraph (1) of section 
        1 as provided in subparagraph (B);
            (B)(i) Senator Kerry and Senator Bond from the Committee on 
        Small Business;
            (ii) Senator Riegle and Senator Roth from the Committee on 
        Finance;
            (iii) Senator Shelby and Senator Domenici from the 
        Subcommittee on Public Lands, Parks, and Forests of the 
        Committee on Energy and Natural Resources;
            (iv) Senator Moseley-Braun from the Committee on the 
        Judiciary; and
            (v) Senator Sasser and Senator Roth from the Permanent 
        Subcommittee on Investigations; and
            (C) the ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary 
        who shall serve for purposes of considering matters within the 
        jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, but shall not 
        serve as a voting member of the committee.
    (2) For the purpose of paragraph 4 of rule XXV of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, service of the ranking member of the Committee on 
the Judiciary as a member of the committee shall not be taken into 
account.
    (b) The jurisdiction of the committee shall encompass the 
jurisdiction of the committees and subcommittees listed in subsection 
(a)(1)(B), to the extent, if any, pertinent to the hearings authorized 
by this resolution.
    (c) A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a 
quorum for reporting a matter or recommendation to the Senate, except 
that the committee may fix a lesser number as a quorum for the purpose 
of taking testimony before the committee or for conducting the other 
business of the committee as provided in paragraph 7 of rule XXVI of 
the Standing Rules of the Senate.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR THE COMMITTEE.

    (a) The committee, through the chairman, may request and use, with 
the prior consent of the chairman of any committee or subcommittee 
listed in section 2(a)(1)(B), the services of members of the staff of 
such committee or subcommittee.
    (b) In addition to staff provided pursuant to subsection (a) and to 
assist the committee in its hearings, the chairman may appoint and fix 
the compensation of additional staff.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE.

    (a) Consistent with the rights of persons subject to investigation 
and inquiry, the committee shall make every effort to fulfill the right 
of the public and the Congress to know the essential facts and 
implications of the activities of officials of the United States 
Government with respect to the matters covered by the hearings as 
described in section 1.
    (b) In furtherance of the public's and Congress' right to know, the 
committee--
            (1) shall hold, as the chairman (in consultation with the 
        ranking member) considers appropriate and in accordance with 
        paragraph 5(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the 
        Senate, open hearings subject to consultation and coordination 
        with the independent counsel appointed pursuant to title 28, 
        parts 600 and 603, of the Code of Federal Regulations (referred 
        to as the ``independent counsel'');
            (2) may make interim reports to the Senate as it considers 
        appropriate; and
            (3) shall, in order to accomplish the purposes set forth in 
        subsection (a), make a final comprehensive public report to the 
        Senate of the findings of fact and any recommendations 
        specified in paragraph (2) of section 1.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE.

    (a) The committee shall do everything necessary and appropriate 
under the laws and Constitution of the United States to conduct the 
hearings specified in section 1.
    (b) The committee is authorized to exercise all of the powers and 
responsibilities of a committee under rule XXVI of the Standing Rules 
of the Senate and section 705 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 
(2 U.S.C. 288d), including the following:
            (1) To issue subpoenas or orders for the attendance of 
        witnesses or for the production of documentary or physical 
        evidence before the committee. A subpoena may be authorized by 
        the committee or by the chairman with the agreement of the 
        ranking member and may be issued by the chairman or any other 
        member designated by the chairman, and may be served by any 
        person designated by the chairman or the authorized member 
        anywhere within or without the borders of the United States to 
        the full extent permitted by law. The chairman of the 
        committee, or any other member thereof, is authorized to 
        administer oaths to any witnesses appearing before the 
        committee.
            (2) Except that the committee shall have no authority to 
        exercise the powers of a committee under section 6005 of title 
        18, United States Code for immunizing witnesses.
            (3) To procure the temporary or intermittent services of 
        individual consultants, or organizations thereof.
            (4) To use on a reimbursable basis, with the prior consent 
        of the Government department or agency concerned, the services 
        of personnel of such department or agency.
            (5) To report violations of any law to the appropriate 
        Federal, State, or local authorities.
            (6) To expend, to the extent the committee determines 
        necessary and appropriate, any money made available to such 
        committee by the Senate to conduct the hearings and to make the 
        reports authorized by this resolution.
            (7) To require by subpoena or order the attendance, as 
        witnesses, before the committee or at depositions, any person 
        who may have knowledge or information concerning matters 
        specified in section 1(1).
            (8) To take depositions under oath anywhere within the 
        United States, to issue orders by the chairman or his designee 
        which require witnesses to answer written interrogatories under 
        oath, and to make application for issuance of letters rogatory.
            (9) To issue commissions and to notice depositions for 
        staff members to examine witnesses and to receive evidence 
        under oath administered by an individual authorized by law to 
        administer oaths. The committee, acting through the chairman, 
        may delegate to designated staff members the power to authorize 
        and issue commissions and deposition notices.
    (c)(1) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2), the committee 
shall be governed by the rules of the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs, except that the committee may modify its rules for 
purposes of the hearings conducted under this resolution. The committee 
shall cause any such amendments to be published in the Congressional 
Record.
    (2) The committee's rules shall be consistent with the Standing 
Rules of the Senate and this resolution.

SEC. 6. RELATION TO OTHER INVESTIGATIONS.

    In order to--
            (1) expedite the thorough conduct of the hearings 
        authorized by this resolution;
            (2) promote efficiency among all the various investigations 
        underway in all branches of the United States Government; and
            (3) engender a high degree of confidence on the part of the 
        public regarding the conduct of such hearing,
the committee is encouraged--
            (A) to obtain relevant information concerning the status of 
        the independent counsel's investigation to assist in 
        establishing a hearing schedule for the committee; and
            (B) to coordinate, to the extent practicable, its 
        activities with the investigation of the independent counsel.

SEC. 7. SALARIES AND EXPENSES.

    Senate Resolution 71 (103d Congress) is amended--
            (1) in section 2(a) by striking ``$56,428,119'' and 
        inserting ``$56,828,119''; and
            (2) in section 6(c) by striking ``$3,220,767'' and 
        inserting ``$3,620,767''.

SEC. 8. REPORTS; TERMINATION.

    (a) The committee shall make the final public report to the Senate 
required by section 4(b) not later than the end of the 103d Congress.
    (b) The final report of the committee may be accompanied by 
whatever confidential annexes are necessary to protect confidential 
information.
    (c) The authorities granted by this resolution shall terminate 30 
days after submission of the committee's final report. All records, 
files, documents, and other materials in the possession, custody, or 
control of the committee shall remain under the control of the 
regularly constituted Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

SEC. 9. COMMITTEE JURISDICTION AND RULE XXV.

    The jurisdiction of the committee is granted pursuant to this 
resolution notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 of rule XXV of 
the Standing Rules of the Senate relating to the jurisdiction of the 
standing committees of the Senate.

SEC. 10. COMMITTEE FUNDING AND RULE XXVI.

    The supplemental authorization for the committee is granted 
pursuant to this resolution notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 
9 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.

SEC. 11. ADDITIONAL HEARINGS.

    (a) In the fulfillment of the Senate's constitutional oversight 
role, additional hearings on the matters identified in the resolution 
passed by the Senate by a vote of 98-0 on March 17, 1994, should be 
authorized as appropriate under, and in accordance with, the provisions 
of that resolution.
    (b) Any additional hearings should be structured and sequenced in 
such a manner that in the judgment of the two leaders they would not 
interfere with the ongoing investigation of Special Counsel Robert B. 
Fiske, Jr.

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