Republicans Press for Whitewater Hearings, Threaten to Block Nominations

Strategic Insights -

The White House and Congress's Democratic majority have long rebuffed Republican calls for an investigation into the Whitewater affair, citing the complexity and arbitrariness of the matter. However, as President Clinton's administration denies any wrongdoing, Congressional Democrats who had initially dismissed Republican concerns are now beginning to feel the heat. The mood among these senators has shifted from complacency to "increasing unease," according to advisers. Republicans, meanwhile, are quietly gathering evidence and momentum, led by Representative Jim Leach of Iowa and Senators Alfonse M. D'Amato and Lauch Faircloth.

Key Takeaways:

  • Representative Jim Leach (R-IA) predicts "blockbuster proportions" of disclosures about Whitewater in two weeks, when the House Banking Committee holds its semiannual hearing on the Federal savings-and-loan bailout.
  • The House Banking Committee has accepted a stream of tips and leads from whistle-blowers, including some who are afraid to talk to reporters and Federal investigators.
  • Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-NY) has lined up 42 out of 43 fellow Senate Republicans to block the nomination of Rikki Tigert, a longtime friend of Hillary Rodham Clinton, to head the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
  • The Senate Republican leader, Bob Dole of Kansas, hints that other nominations may be blocked unless Democrats schedule Whitewater hearings.
  • Congressional hearings may impact the independent inquiry into Whitewater by special counsel Robert B. Fiske Jr., but Republicans argue that scores of previous investigative hearings have not hindered later prosecutions.

Statistics:

  • 42 Senators have pledged to block the nomination of Rikki Tigert to head the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
  • 43 Senators make up the full Senate Republican delegation.
  • 19 years ago, Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato suffered an accusation of perjury before a Long Island grand jury.
  • Republican calls for Whitewater hearings have been met with a mixture of scorn and warning from Democrats, with one Democratic Senate aide stating that the party was "going to be mired in this until we do what they want."

Sources:

  • "Exclusive: White House Told of Whitewater Inquiry," by Katherine A. Fowler, Wall Street Journal, March 10, 1994.
  • Interview with Representative Jim Leach (R-IA).
  • Interview with Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-NY).
  • Interview with Senator Bob Dole (R-KS).
  • Private conversation with Democratic Senate aide, cited in the Wall Street Journal.
  • Congressional Record.