JOHN LINDER: “pursuant to notice given earlier this day, under rule IX, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 524) raising a question of the…”

“pursuant to notice given earlier this day, under rule IX, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 524) raising a question of the privileges of the House, and I ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 524 Whereas, a complaint filed against Representative Gephardt alleges House Rules have been violated by Representative Gephardt's concealment of profits gained through a complex series of real estate tax exchanges and; Whereas, the complaint also alleges possible violations of banking disclosure and campaign finance laws or regulations and; Whereas, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct has in complex matters involving complaints hired outside counsel with expertise in tax laws and regulations and; Whereas, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is responsible for determining whether Representative Gephardt's financial transactions violated standards of conduct or specific rules of House of Representatives and; Whereas, the complaint against Representative Gephardt has been languishing before the committee for more than seven months and the integrity of the ethics process and the manner in which Members are disciplined is called into question; now be it Resolved that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is authorized and directed to hire a special counsel to assist in the investigation of this matter.”