Bill Delahunt: “by 3 o'clock today, millions of people around the world will be reading the Starr report, and it will be persuasive, for…”

“by 3 o'clock today, millions of people around the world will be reading the Starr report, and it will be persuasive, for any prosecutor has the ability to shape the evidence presented to a grand jury. We can claim that these are only allegations, that nothing has been proven, but the reality is by tonight, minds will be made up and judgments will be rendered, and any presumption of innocence will be overwhelmed. I agree that the report should be released. That is not the issue. The question is when and how. After so many months, what possible harm could come from allowing counsel for the President to review the report for a day or 2 so that both sides of the story can be told at the same time? It is only fair. This House went even further to ensure fairness 24 years ago. During 7 weeks of closed-door hearings, President Nixon's lawyers were even allowed to cross-examine witnesses before anything was made public. We should respect that precedent, and it is unfortunate that we have not, for if the American people are to accept our ultimate conclusion, they must have confidence in the fairness of the process. That confidence, far more than the fate of a President, is what is at stake here.”