Gallegly One of 36 Facing Monumental House Task

The delivery of independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr’s report to the House this week has paved the way for Rep. Elton Gallegly to make one of the most important decisions of his political career.

As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Gallegly is among 36 representatives who will recommend to the full House whether any wrongdoing allegedly committed by President Clinton merits impeachment proceedings.

Despite his staunch Republican credentials, it is not a task the Simi Valley lawmaker relishes.

“I can think of no other issue I’ve had to deal with in my 12 years here [in Congress] that has the potential impact on the country that this situation has,” Gallegly said Thursday during a break in House activities. “We have to get some resolution, but we can’t approach this in a slipshod manner. The country doesn’t want that.”

Gallegly added that consideration of an impeachment inquiry “transcends party lines.”

“The issue before us today affects . . . the institution of presidency of the United States--not just Bill Clinton,” he added. “Anyone who loses sight of that doesn’t understand the purpose of being a member of Congress to begin with.”

Rep. Brad Sherman likened the unfolding events to a Greek tragedy and said he hoped cool heads would prevail.

“From everyone I’ve talked to, there is a real strong desire to handle this in a bipartisan and thoughtful way,” said Sherman, a Democrat from Sherman Oaks who represents part of Ventura County. “So we’ll see. . . . No one said this would be an easy job.”

The gravity of the politicians’ remarks underscores the somber mood on Capitol Hill a day after Starr delivered a landmark report that could potentially become the basis for impeachment proceedings against Clinton. The contents of the report’s executive summary--about 445 pages of text--are expected to be released to the public today.

For their part, Clinton’s lawyers contend there is no basis for impeachment.

Nonetheless, once ground rules for the process are set, the House Judiciary Committee will begin to wade through 18 boxes of what Starr’s team has described as “substantial and credible information that may constitute grounds for the impeachment of the president of the United States.”

Gallegly will be among the 21 Republicans and 15 Democrats who will recommend whether Starr’s report merits an impeachment inquiry. If the full House agrees, the judiciary committee could begin hearings that may eventually lead to the release of articles of impeachment.

As guidance to Gallegly and his peers, the Constitution lists “treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors” as grounds for impeachment. At issue, Sherman said, may be how one interprets the phrase--and whether Starr’s report meets the criteria.

“I think it’s clear that the president acted reprehensibly, and according to some definitions of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors,’ reprehensibility is included . . .,” Sherman said.

Because Gallegly has not yet read the carefully guarded report, he declined to speculate on which way the committee’s recommendation would go.

Not so for his constituents, who have been calling in droves since the president apologized for an affair with White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky. Lately, they have voiced opposition to Clinton by a 4-1 ratio, Gallegly said.

Should the House approve the articles of impeachment by majority vote, the Senate would conduct a trial, with Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist presiding. The trial would determine whether Clinton is fit to hold office and at its conclusion a two-thirds vote by the Senate could oust the president.

* MAIN STORY: A1