Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to M. J. B., March 4, 1997

Congress of tt)t ®niteb States ftousc of Eeprestntiititics ®Blaef)ington, ©C 20515-2002 March 4, 1997 Dear Thank you for your recent letter. Please allow me to address the some of the issues you raised separately. In your letter you stated that, “the 1 04th Congress did not make measurable cuts in the budget.” In fact, the 1 04th Congress saved the American people a total of $53 billion. In FY 1996 alone, Congress achieved a net reduction of $32 billion — the largest single cut in government spending since World War II. I believe Congress will build upon this record of achievement during the 1 05th Congress. You also expressed concern for Speaker Newt Gingrich’s ethics problems. I agree with you. Speaker Gingrich’s admitted ethics violations were serious. The penalties imposed by the House - a formal reprimand and a $300,000 fine — were severe and appropriate. Now that the House has resolved the Gingrich matter, I look forward to addressing the issues important to my constituents, such as a balanced budget; a fmancially-solvent Medicare system; and regulatory relief for small business. With respect to reports of inappropriate fundraising activities by the Clinton Administration and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), I believe that an investigation is clearly warranted. Congressman Dan Burton, chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, and Senator Fred Thompson, chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, have announced they will be holding hearings into fundraising activities during the 1996 federal elections. I hope that Attorney General Janet Reno will appoint a special prosecutor to look into this matter as well. Again, thank you for contacting me. Please contact me if I may be of additional assistance. Sincerely, Member of Congress