Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to E. N. Jr., April 15, 1997

ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR. ASSISTANT MAJORITY WHIP Congress of ttie Hmteti States fllouSe of ftEpresentattoes 25Ha£rtjington, 2DC 20515-2002 April 15, 1997 Thank you for contacting my office regarding your frustration with the slow legislative pace of the 1 05th Congress. While the pundits are apt to characterize the output of the 105th Congress as being relatively modest — especially when compared to what my colleagues and I achieved during the Contract with America — I believe that this characterization is not entirely accurate. It is true that the prolonged battle over Speaker Newt Gingrich’s admitted ethical lapses; Democratic attempts to delay a congressional investigation into the Clinton Administration-Democratic National Committee fundraising scandal; and President Clinton’s failure to submit an acceptable balanced budget plan have consumed time and resources that might otherwise be spent on legislation. However, Congress has acted on a number of substantive legislative proposals — including term ’imits and a ban on partial birth abortions — since it reconvened in January. It should be noted that the successes of the Contract with America came with a cost as well. Because of the time spent enacting the Contract into law, work on many other pressing national issues was delayed until this Congress. Committees are currently working on revisions to existing laws, such as Superfund cleanup; energy deregulation; banking reform; and Medicare, just to name a few issues. In that regard, the 105th Congress, at least at the committee level, has been extremely productive. I share your views over the perceived leadership drift in the House. In recent weeks, Speaker Newt Gingrich has made statements over the future of tax cuts and public funding for Legislative Service Organizations (LSOs) which were, in my view, widely misinterpreted by the liberal press. I was pleased to see the Speaker clarify his position on both issues. I anticipate the House will move ahead on the issues which matter to the American people, such as a balanced budget plan and tax relief for working families, in the coming weeks. With respect to congressional investigations into the Clinton fundraising scandals, House and Senate hearings into this matter are slated to begin soon. I am looking forward to the results of that investigation. Moreover, I believe that Attorney General Janet Reno must appoint an independent counsel to look into this matter as well. (