Newt Gingrich: “I rise with concern and sadness to report to the House on a letter I am sending the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton)…”

“I rise with concern and sadness to report to the House on a letter I am sending the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), Chairman of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, today. I want to read the letter and then I want to explain why I am sending it and the background of sending it. "Dear Chairman Burton: I was deeply troubled by the partisan Democrat behavior shown last week during the vote on granting immunity, to which even the Justice Department is not opposed, to four key witnesses in your campaign finance investigation. "This is the exact opposite of previous congressional investigations, in which Republican Members worked in a diligent and bipartisan manner with Democrats to uncover the truth. According to David Dorsen, the assistant chief counsel of the Senate Watergate Committee, the 'Watergate Committee voted consistently and unanimously for immunity.' In fact, even during Iran-Contra the Congressional investigative committees voted unanimously to grant a limited form of immunity to Oliver North, John Poindexter and Albert Hakim. There is no logical reason for the Democrats' stonewalling and sharply partisan actions. Again, even the Department of Justice has clearly stated in writing that they have 'no opposition to the committee granting immunity.' "The Democrats' efforts to block immunity, despite their own administration's willingness to accept it, cannot withstand the public's demand for the truth.…”