We will be wanting to know who knew about it, who should have known about it, and whether or not there was an attempt to cover it up. Now, these hearings come at a time in this nation of economic prosperity, but they also come at a time when the American people are increasingly cynical about their government. We have less than half of our people voting now. I believe that part of this is due to what has happened to our political process, as evidenced by the matters that this committee will be considering. The American people see their leaders go to greater and greater extreme to raise unprecedented amounts of money to fund their political campaigns.
Power is at stake, and the ends justify the means.
And I believe that this thirst for increasing amounts of political money, and what people are willing to do to get it, lie at the heart of this investigation. This committee demonstrated early on its commitment to fairness, something I'm very proud of. This committee unanimously voted to have a scope that would allow us to look at Democrat and Republican activities alike, where appropriate. Now, if the American people see us honestly trying to get the facts in a professional manner, treating each other and treating our witnesses with dignity and courtesy, I believe that it will enhance the status of this institution. More importantly, I think that we'll enhance our government in the eyes of the American people at a time when our government sorely needs it.