John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, today is a very, very solemn day for the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, the Constitution bestows…”

“Mr. Speaker, today is a very, very solemn day for the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, the Constitution bestows several very important responsibilities on the House. All of them have great consequence. We have the power to raise taxes, we have the power to declare war, we have the sole power of impeachment. Today we find ourselves considering a resolution to release portions of the Independent Counsel's report. Two days ago Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr delivered to this Capitol building a 445-page report, several thousands of pages of appendices, and 17 boxes of additional materials. No one has seen what is in the materials sent up by the Independent Counsel. It is most likely to contain Mr. Starr's opinions, transcripts from dozens of witnesses, tapes, telephone conversations, and other very, very important material. Mr. Speaker, once these boxes are opened, innocent people could be hurt, reputations could be destroyed, ongoing criminal investigations could be jeopardized. Members of the House should begin this process of releasing the information and acting on it as soberly and as fairly as possible.”