The House

Probe of Legislators

The House rejected, 169 to 243, an amendment to make members of Congress suspected of criminality answerable to independent counsels as well as to the attorney general and U. S. attorneys.

This occurred as the House debated and passed a bill (HR 2939, below) extending the law under which court-appointed special counsels can prosecute high officials of the executive branch.

Supporter Daniel E. Lungren (R-Long Beach) said, “The question is: Are we going to clean up our own House?”

Opponent William J. Hughes (D-N. J.) said the purpose of the independent counsel law is to remove “the potential and . . . perceived conflict” of an Administration investigating itself.

Members voting yes wanted independent counsels to be able to prosecute members of Congress.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dreier (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Hawkins (D) x Rep. Martinez (D) x Rep. Torres (D) x

Independent Counsels

By a 322-87 vote, the House passed a bill extending for five years the law under which independent counsels can probe executive branch officials, free of interference from the Justice Department.

This sent the bill (HR 2939) to the Senate.

A Watergate legacy, the 1978 law enables a U. S. Appellate Court panel to appoint special prosecutors to probe any suspected criminality on the part of approximately 200 top Administration officials including the President.

The Reagan Administration wants to overturn the law on grounds it allows the judiciary to usurp the executive branch’s prosecutorial authority.

Supporter Larry Smith (D-Fla.) said the law averts “conflict of interest where a person or an Administration has to investigate itself.”

Opponent Pat Swindall (R-Ga.) said the law transfers to the judiciary “the very heart of the President’s responsibility” to execute statutes.

Members voting yes wanted to extend the independent counsel law.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Anderson (D) x Rep. Dornan (R) x Rep. Dreier (R) x Rep. Dymally (D) x Rep. Hawkins (D) x Rep. Martinez (D) x Rep. Torres (D) x