The Breach
Page 61
On or about January 21, 23, and 26, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton made false and misleading statements to potential witnesses in a Federal grand jury proceeding in order to corruptly influence the testimony of those witnesses. The false and misleading statements made by William Jefferson Clinton were repeated by the witnesses to the grand jury, causing the grand jury to receive false and misleading information.
In all of this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article IV
Using the powers and influence of the office of President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has engaged in conduct that resulted in misuse and abuse of his high office, impaired the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, and contravened the authority of the legislative branch and the truth-seeking purpose of a coordinate investigative proceeding in that, as President, William Jefferson Clinton refused and failed to respond to certain written requests for admission and willfully made perjurious, false, and misleading sworn statements in response to certain written requests for admission propounded to him as part of the impeachment inquiry authorized by the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States.
William Jefferson Clinton, in refusing and failing to respond, and in making perjurious, false, and misleading statements, assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives and exhibited contempt for the inquiry.
In doing this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
VOTES
APPENDIX THREE
Text of the proposed censure resolution drafted by Congressman Rick Boucher ofVirginia and endorsed by the House Democratic leadership. The House JudiciaryCommittee rejected it 2216 on December 12, 1998, and the House Republicanleadership refused to allow a vote on it on the floor when articles of impeachmentwent before the full body on December 19.
That it is the sense of Congress that
on January 20, 1993, William Jefferson Clinton took the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States faithfully to execute the office of President; implicit in that oath is the obligation that the President set an example of high moral standards and conduct himself in a manner that fosters respect for the truth; and William Jefferson Clinton has egregiously failed in this obligation, and through his actions has violated the trust of the American people, lessened their esteem for the office of President, and dishonored the office which they have entrusted to him;
William Jefferson Clinton made false statements concerning his reprehensible conduct with a subordinate;
William Jefferson Clinton wrongly took steps to delay discovery of the truth; and
in as much as no person is above the law, William Jefferson Clinton remains subject to criminal and civil penalties; and
William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, by his conduct has brought upon himself, and fully deserves, the censure and condemnation of the American people and the Congress; and by his signature on this Joint Resolution, acknowledges this censure and condemnation.
APPENDIX FOUR
Text of the proposed censure resolution drafted by Senators Dianne Feinstein, aCalifornia Democrat, and Robert F. Bennett, a Utah Republican, and introduced on the Senate floor on February 12, 1999. The Senate voted 5643 toconsider the resolution, but fell short of the two-thirds majority required to suspend the rules. Instead, Feinstein inserted the resolution in the form of a statement into the Congressional Record with the signatures of thirty-eight senators,including twenty-nine Democrats and nine Republicans.
Whereas William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate employee in the White House, which was shameful, reckless, and indefensible;
Whereas William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, deliberately misled and deceived the American people, and people in all branches of the United States government;
Whereas William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, gave false or misleading testimony and his actions have had the effect of impeding discovery of evidence in judicial proceedings;
Whereas William Jefferson Clintons conduct in this matter is unacceptable for a President of the United States, does demean the Office of the President as well as the President himself, and creates disrespect for the laws of the land;
Whereas President Clinton fully deserves censure for engaging in such behavior;
Whereas future generations of Americans must know that such behavior is not only unacceptable but also bears grave consequences, including loss of integrity, trust, and respect;
Whereas William Jefferson Clinton remains subject to criminal actions in a court of law like any other citizen;
Whereas William Jefferson Clintons conduct in this matter has brought shame and dishonor to himself and to the Office of the President; and
Whereas William Jefferson Clinton through his conduct in this matter has violated the trust of the American people;
***
Now therefore, be it resolved that:
The United States Senate does hereby censure William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, and does condemn his wrongful conduct in the strongest terms; and
Now be it further resolved that:
The United States Senate recognizes the historic gravity of this bipartisan resolution, and trusts and urges that future congresses will recognize the importance of allowing this bipartisan statement of censure and condemnation to remain intact for all time; and
Be it further resolved that:
The Senate now move on to other matters of significance to our people, to reconcile differences between and within the branches of government, and to work togetheracross party linesfor the benefit of the American people.
INDEX
Abbott, Steve,
ABC,
Abercrombie, Neil,
abortion rights,
Abourezk, James,
Abraham, Spencer,
abuse of office,
in articles of impeachment,
in Starr report,
see also Article IV
Ackerman, Bruce,
Ackerman, Gary L.,
Adams, Gerry,
Adams, John,
Afghanistan, U.S. bombing of,
AFL-CIO,
Africa, bombing of U.S. embassies in,
African-Americans,
Clintons support among,
AFSCME,
Air Force One,
Akaka, Daniel K.,
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld,
Alabama,
Alaska,
Albright, Madeleine,
Allard, Wayne,
Alvarez, Aida,
American Conservative Union,
American Federation of Teachers,
Ames, Aldrich,
Arafat, Yasser,
Archer, Bill,
Arizona,
Arkansas,
Asa Hutchinson and,
Clinton as attorney general of,
Clinton as governor of,
Hillary Clintons bar membership in,
state troopers of,
Arkansas, University of,
Arkansas state troopers,
Armey, Dick,
articles of impeachment,
drafting of,
House Judiciary Committee vote on,
House vote on,
Senate vote on,
texts of,
Article I (House and Senate),
findings of fact and,
House Judiciary Committee vote on,
House vote on,
Senate vote on,
text of,
Article II (House),
House Judiciary Committee vote on,
House rejection of,
text of,
Article III (House) (Senate Article II),
findings of fact and,
House Judiciary Committee vote on,
House vote on,
Senate vote on,
text of,
Article IV (House),
House Judiciary Committee vote on,
House rejection of,
text of,
Ashcroft, John,
Associated Press,
Atlanta, Ga.,
attorney-client privilege,
Babbitt, Bruce,
Baesler, Scotty,
Baghdad,
Baker, Howard H., Jr.,
Baker, Nancy Kassebaum,
Baldwin, Tammy,
Bank of the United States,
Barber, Ben,
Barr, Robert L., Jr.,
as manager in Senate trial,
Barrett, Thomas,
Battalino, Barbara,
Battle, Chris,
Bauer, Robert F.,
Bayh, Evan,
Begala, Paul,
attorney retained by,
and Clintons postgrand jury television speech,
Clintons responsibility as viewed by,
leak of speech draft of,
low morale of,
resignation of,
Bennett, Jackie M., Jr.,
Bennett, Robert F.,
Bennett, Robert S.,
Ben-Veniste, Richard,
Berger, Samuel R. Sandy,
Berman, Howard L.,
Berman, Mike,
Berry, Marsha,
Bible,
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.,
Bilbray, Brian,
bills of attainder,
bin Laden, Osama,
bipartisanship,
Clintons pledge of,
in House Judiciary Committee,
in previous impeachments,
see also partisanship
Bisek, Callista,
Bittman, Robert J.,
blacks, see African-Americans
blind memos,
Bloch, Susan,
Bloodworth-Thomason, Linda,
Bloom, David,
Blue, Carol,
Blue Dogs,
Blumenthal, Sidney,
in Senate trial,
Bob Jones University,
Boehlert, Sherwood L.,
Bogart, Susan,
bolt of lightning clause,
Bond, Kit,
Bonior, David E.,
Bonner, Robert,
Bono, Mary,
Bono, Sonny,
Bork, Robert H.,
Bosnia,
Boucher, Rick,
Bowles, Erskine B.,
Clintons relationship with,
Bowles, Sam,
Boxer, Barbara,
Boys Nation,
breach, see bipartisanship;
partisanship
breakfast club,
Breaux, John,
Breuer, Lanny A.,
Britton, Nan,
Broaddrick, Juanita (Jane Doe No. 5),
Clinton accused of rape by,
NBC interview with,
Brophy, Susan,
Brown, Corrine,
Brownback, Sam,
Browner, Carol M.,
Browning, Dolly Kyle,
Bryan, Richard,
Bryant, Edward G.,
Lewinsky questioned by,
BTU tax,
Buffalo, N.Y.,
Bullfeathers restaurant,
Bumpers, Dale,
Bunning, Jim,
Burton, Dan,
Burton, Preston,
Bush, George,
Bush, George W.,
Buyer, Steve,
Byrd, Robert C.,
Clinton as viewed by,
Clintons resignation favored by,
as key to Clintons acquittal,
political career of,
in Senate trial,
cabinet, Clintons meeting with,
Cacheris, Plato,
Cahill, Mary Beth,
Calhoun, John C.,
California:
Democratic Party in,
Republican Party in,
Callahan, H. L. Sonny,
Campaign, The,
naming of,
organization of,
campaign finance scandals,
Campbell, Ben Nighthorse,
Campbell, Tom,
Camp David,
Campolo, Tony,
Canady, Charles T.,
Cannon, Chris,
Capitol Police,
Caribou, Maine,
Carle, Robin H.,
Carpenter-McMillan, Susan,
Carter, Jimmy,
Carville, James,
attack dog role of,
Castle, Michael N.,
cast of characters,
CBS,
censure of Clinton,
as acceptable to Clinton,
Bouchers proposed resolution on,
Carter and Fords support for,
DeLays opposition to,
Democratic opposition to,
Feinstein and Bennetts proposed resolution on,
fine proposed with, see censure-plus plan
Gephardts secret plans for,
House rejection of vote on,
Lewinskys support for,
Livingstons eleventh-hour near-agreement on,
public opinion on,
Ruffs offers of,
censure of Jackson,
censure-plus plan,
Clintons opposition to,
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),
Chabot, Steve,
Chafee, John,
Chase, Samuel,
Chenoweth, Helen,
Chicago, Ill.,
Chiles, Lawton,
China, Peoples Republic of,
Christenson, Arne,
Christian Coalition,
Christian right,
chronology of events,
Chubb Group Insurance,
Chung, Johnny,
cigars,
Clay, Henry,
Cleveland, Grover,
Cleveland, Ohio, focus groups in,
Clifford, Clark,
Clinton, Bill:
apologies made by,
as attorney general of Arkansas,
bipartisanship pledge of,
censure of, see censure of Clinton
civil deposition in Jones case made by,
compartmentalizing ability of,
contempt citation of,
criminal prosecution as prospect for,
departures by staff members of,
domestic agenda of,
elections and, see specific elections
electronic monitoring of,
emotional effects of scandal and impeachment on,
finger-wagging denial by,
forgiveness speech of,
fund-raising by,
as golfer,
as governor of Arkansas,
grand jury test
imony of,
history of womanizing by,
House Judiciary Committees written questions submitted to,
lawyers vs. political advisors of,
legacy and place in history of,
legalisms used in defense of,
medical questions about,
military strikes ordered by,
morale problems among staff of,
nature of alleged offenses of, see obstruction of justice;
perjury
opinion poll standings of,
overseas trips of,
physical appearance of,
policy victories won by,
at prayer breakfast,
rape allegations made against, see Broaddrick, Juanita
Republican animosity toward,
revenge against Republicans sought by,
rumors about,
secret police rumors about,
sense of victimhood of,
split within legal team of,
statement after impeachment of,
statement after Senate acquittal of,
statement before House Judiciary Committee vote on,
State of the Union addresses of,
televised speech of, after grand jury testimony,
temper of,
weakened political authority of,
weekly political strategy sessions of,
Clinton, Chelsea,
Clinton, Hillary Rodham,
bill for Clintons misdeeds paid by,
censure opposed by,
Clintons relationship with,
effect of scandal on,
Lewinsky affair revealed to,
popularity of,
right wing blamed by,
role in Clintons defense played by,
Senate run planned by,
Watergate role of,
Whitewater investigation and,
Clinton, Roger,
CNBC,
CNN,
Cobb, Kimberly,
Coble, Howard,
Cochran, Thad,
Coelho, Tony,
Cohen, Bill,
Collins, Susan M.,
Colmer, William M.,
Colorado,
Committee on Reconstruction,
common-law privileges,
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,
Condit, Gary,
Congress, U.S.:
privileges recognized by,
Republican control of,
separation-of-powers doctrine and,
see also House of Representatives, U.S.;
Senate, U.S.