IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 599

Expressing the sense of the House on a question relating to the privileges

of the House.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 14, 1998

Mr. RIGGS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House on a question relating

to the privileges of the House.

Whereas on September 9, 1998, the Office of Independent

Counsel (OIC) advised the House of Representatives that

President William Jefferson Clinton may have engaged in

conduct constituting grounds for an impeachment;

Whereas an Independent Counsel is required by section 595

of title 28 of the United States Code to advise the House

of Representatives of ‘‘any substantial and credible’’ information that may constitute grounds for an impeachment;

Whereas the OIC report sets out 11 separate, possible

grounds for impeachment of the President, including 5

involving false statements in civil and criminal judicial

proceedings, 4 incidents of obstruction or attempted ob-
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•HRES 599 IH

struction of justice relating to those proceedings, 1 instance of witness tampering, and a charge of abuse of authority;

Whereas article I, section 2 of the Constitution of the United

States grants the House of Representatives the sole

power of impeachment;

Whereas the constitutional prerogatives of the House include

its function with respect to impeachment and matters incidental thereto;

Whereas a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives voted 363–63 on September 11, 1998, to refer the

OIC report to the House Judiciary Committee (H. Res.

525);

Whereas pursuant to said resolution the House Judiciary

Committee has reviewed the OIC report and determined

that ‘‘substantial and credible evidence’’ exists of 15 possibly impeachable offenses against President Clinton;

Whereas on October 8, 1998, a majority of the House of

Representatives voted 258–176 to authorize and direct

the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether

sufficient grounds exist for the impeachment of William

Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States (H.

Res. 581).

Whereas that same day 197 Democratic members of the

House of Representatives voted for the Democratic alternative resolution, in the form of a motion to recommit

with instructions, also initiating an impeachment inquiry;

Whereas between the two resolutions described above 429 out

of 435 members of the House of Representatives voted

in the aggregate to proceed with an inquiry of impeachment;
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Whereas Members of Congress have a constitutional obligation to defend and vindicate the rule of law;

Whereas Members of Congress have sworn an oath to faithfully discharge their constitutional duties;

Whereas the Judiciary Committee is planning hearings into

the allegations of felony criminal misconduct by the

President;

Whereas Members of the House are committed to a bipartisan search for the truth which handles the impeachment

inquiry thoroughly and fairly, with both parties working

together;

Whereas the impeachment inquiry is a quasi-judicial proceeding and the role of individual Judiciary Committee members has been likened to that of grand jurors;

Whereas Representative Charles Schumer is a senior member

of the House Judiciary Committee;

Whereas Representative Schumer voted for the Democratic

alternative resolution authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient

grounds exist for the impeachment of President Clinton;

Whereas Representative Schumer is a candidate for election

to the United States Senate from New York State;

Whereas on October 12, 1998, President Clinton attended a

fundraising reception for Representative Schumer’s Senate campaign at the Hilton New York Hotel and Towers

in New York City;

Whereas on October 12, 1998, President Clinton attended a

second fundraising reception for Representative Schumer’s Senate campaign at a private residence in Manhattan, New York City;
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Whereas according to several media reports the fundraising

receptions that President Clinton attended at Representative Schumer’s invitation netted approximately $1 million

for Representative Schumer’s Senate campaign;

Whereas Representative Schumer’s actions constitute a conflict of interest that compromises the integrity of the Judiciary Committee’s deliberations and reflects poorly on

the House of Representatives;

Whereas such actions affect the rights of the House collectively and the dignity and integrity of its proceedings;

Whereas clause 1 of rule 43 of the Code of Official Conduct

under the Rules of the House of Representatives states:

‘‘A Member, officer or employee of the House of Representatives shall conduct himself at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives;’’

Whereas under the Rules of the House Representative Schumer may voluntarily resign his membership on the House

Judiciary Committee; and

Whereas under the Rules of the House the House Democratic

Caucus may bring a privileged resolution to the House

floor to fill a committee membership vacated by a Democratic member of the House: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That Representative Charles Schumer is

2 hereby removed as a member of the House Judiciary Com3 mittee for the remainder of the 105th Congress.

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