Richard Gephardt: “Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the majority leader's resolution. It affirms the efforts of the ethics…”

“Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the majority leader's resolution. It affirms the efforts of the ethics committee to carry out its responsibilities to the American people, the House, and to Members as it always has--evenhandedly as to all Members, without partisan motivation, and with a proper regard for the legitimate concerns of the criminal justice system. Whatever the vote today, the committee will continue its consultations with the U.S. attorney, and will continue to review his requests to defer to insure that they are based on an accurate factual predicate and sound legal reasoning. I believe it fair to say, however, that I, and most committee members, believe it entirely reasonable and prudent to permit the Department of Justice to conclude a lengthy, complicated and sensitive criminal investigation without interference from the House of Representatives--the course the committee, with bipartisan unanimity has always taken in these cases, and which it has taken recently in other cases. Never has the House directed its ethics committee to proceed with an ethics inquiry in the face of a committee determination that it should defer to the Justice Department.”