This sequence of events raises numerous questions as to the RTC's procedures for handling criminal referrals, and raises very serious questions about the Justice Department's actions. These questions should be answered publicly. The idea that we need to let this issue fester for a year or two while a Justice Department official conducts his investigation is unprecedented. Congress held hearings simultaneously with independent counsel investigations of Ann Buford of the Environmental Protection Agency, the BNL Bank, the BCCI Bank, Michael Deaver, and Iran-Contra, to name a few of the recent instances in which Congress proceeded simultaneously. Now, with a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress, the rules of the game have changed.
Democrats are determined to prevent real hearings.
They are determined to have sham hearings, and to prevent votes on any Republican amendments to make the hearings substantive. Democrats may have the votes to gut amendment after amendment offered by us, but we serve them fair warning that we will not be silenced. We will continue to offer amendments, and we will continue to speak out against the sham hearings proposed by our colleagues to the left. Of course, we will also vote once again against this same Mitchell substitute amendment, though we have little hope any Democrats will join us.