Ernest Istook: “I certainly hope I misunderstood the gentleman from Rhode Island, because I am sure he did not intend to suggest that…”

“I certainly hope I misunderstood the gentleman from Rhode Island, because I am sure he did not intend to suggest that, because somebody is doing something that he likes, it is okay to lie. Because the Court did not say Mr. Magaziner erred by holding meetings in secret. No, the Court found that his position was dishonest, deceitful, preposterous, in the words of the judge's findings, because he lied to the court in order to try to justify having those meetings in secret with hundreds and hundreds of people. In fact, if we look at the list of the people that were meeting in secret, they even included representatives from the insurance industry. This was not something about one industry versus another and supposedly it is okay for one group to lie, because they question the motives of another. No, this is someone coming before a Federal judge saying under oath things that were blatantly untrue. Since when are we going to say the means justifies the ends? Since when is the White House going to say that it is okay for people in the highest levels of the White House to lie under oath to the courts of this Nation? What would happen if that is the standard? And that is the question before us. Those who vote against this resolution are saying it is okay to do nothing about it. Mr. Magaziner is still on the payroll. Mr. Chairman, I checked the most recent figure we have showing that he is making $110,000 a year of taxpayers' money.”