Trent Lott: “today after months of media exposes and the American people asking questions about exactly what is going on here, I…”

“today after months of media exposes and the American people asking questions about exactly what is going on here, I think the question that we are trying to answer today is, ``Why hasn't Attorney General Reno appointed an independent counsel to investigate these matters?'' Members of both parties, Democrats as well as Republicans, have asked that question, and they can't get a satisfactory answer. They have called on the Attorney General under the law involving the independent counsel to appoint an independent counsel. Senator Moynihan, Senator Feingold, and I think others in both parties have said this is the way that we should proceed, and this independent counsel should be appointed. That is why we brought before the Senate Senate Joint Resesolution 22 to express the sense of this body ``that the Attorney General should make application to the Special Division of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate allegations of illegal fundraising in the 1996 Presidential election campaign.''”