Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to R. A. B., February 3, 1998

1407 York Road ROBERT L. EHRLICH. JR. 2o District, Maryland committees ASSISTANT MAJORITY WHIP Congress of tt)e fflniteb States Spouse of ficprESmtatibts ©Baeijmgton, ©£ 20515-2002 February 3, 1998 Thank you for expressing your views about the 1998 congressional agenda. I benefit by hearing your views. Allow me to address some of the issues you raised individually. With respect to the allegations raised against President Clinton, I believe we must exercise due caution when weighing the allegations against the President. To date, my knowledge of this matter is limited to what has been reported in the news media. I have not personally seen or reviewed any evidence which would lead me to conclude President Clinton committed these crimes. Independent Counsel Judge Kenneth Starr, who is investigating this matter, is required by law to formally notify the House of Representatives if he uncovers evidence of impeachable offenses committed by the President. To date, this notification has not occurred. If such notification does occur, I will support efforts to move the impeachment process forward. With respect to your views regarding term limits, I agree with you. Last year, the House recently voted on eleven proposed constitutional amendments establishing limits on terms a senator or representative may serve. Each fell far short of the two-thirds majority (290 votes) necessary to amend the Constitution. In accordance with my longstanding position, I voted against these proposals. It is unlikely that term limits will be considered again any time soon. With respect to H. R. 2425, a bill to rename Washington National Airport in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, it is a well established tradition to name federal buildings and roadways after former presidents and other distinguished Americans who have made a significant contribution to our history. During his eight years in office, President Ronald Reagan presided over a record peacetime expansion of the American economy; achieved historic arms reductions with the Soviet Union; and pursued a vigorous foreign policy which ultimately caused the collapse of the Soviet system. President Reagan made a lasting contribution to the American spirit, and restored honor and dignity to the office of President. For these reasons, it is entirely appropriate to honor President Reagan in this manner. I appreciated hearing your comments on other important issues such as campaign finance reform, the status of mining reform, and the 1997 balanced budget agreements. I will take your views under consideration. There are a number of important issues that are likely to receive