John W. Olver: “the President's personal behavior was morally wrong and deeply disappointing, but this investigation has gone too far…”

“the President's personal behavior was morally wrong and deeply disappointing, but this investigation has gone too far and is hurting the country, our families and our children. Congress is getting nothing done and has now embarked on an open-ended fishing expedition. We should hold the President accountable for his personal conduct, but then we should get back to the work that American families care about. Today, I am voting for a fair, focused and expeditious inquiry into the Kenneth Starr impeachment report. The process I support is specifically designed to focus on the Independent Counsel's report and any other referrals from Kenneth Starr. It would also ensure that this matter would be behind us by the end of the year, the end of this Congress. The Republican impeachment inquiry is designed to produce an investigation without an end--to drag it out until the presidential election in November 2000, two years from now. The stark difference between the two approaches is clear. The Democratic amendment is reasonably focused. The Republican resolution is unlimited. The Democratic amendment is fair. It requires an initial determination regarding the standard for impeachment and the sufficiency of the evidence to meet that standard. The Republican proposal is arbitrary--it requires no preliminary determinations whatsoever. The Democratic amendment is expeditious. The Republican resolution is endless. And, finally, the Democratic amendment is deliberate.”