August 2, 1994 - Part 13
August 2, 1994 - Part 13
(01:50:16) I have to tell you something else, I think that a number of questions that I raised after having advised him the night before that I was going to raise them, the issue of recusal, the issue of contacts, that he should have been in a position to give us more responsive answers than came and if not on the 24th. certainly earlier than they eventually did and that's my point. And last but not least let me say this, I regret any personalization with my friend, the Senator from Connecticut. We do get heated up. He's got the same kind of passion and blood running through his veins that I don and so I apologize if, in my response, I went further than I should have and I hope you'll accept that because I think we both have jobs to do. We both have our beliefs and I think that the Chair has done an outstanding job in giving all of us and preserving all of our rights. Senator SARBANES. Mr. Chairman, what time is the meeting in the morning? The CHAIRMAN. We are starting tomorrow morning-we 're scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Earlier I mentioned the recording clerks that have been so steadfast, there are two of them, Patty Zuber and Julie Baker. And I acknowledged one, but not the other, and I want to acknowledge both. I think we've had a full discussion. I 558 know everybody here wants the last word. Do we really need an" other last word here or can we bring this hearing to a conclusion? Senator GRAMM. Mr. Chairman, I'm willing to forgo some sub. stantive questions, but I would like to make a statement. The CHAIRMAN. You certainly have that right. I would hope that Senator GRAMM. Mr. Chairman, let me first say that I'd intended to ask a question about what I believe were four substantive contacts. The day before Mr. Altman testified on the 23rd he called Harold Ickes at the White House. That was clearly a contact. Harold Ickes called Mr. Altman and was transferred to Josh Steiner. That clearly was a contact. At Mr. Altman's request, Ms. Hanson called Bernie Nussbaum. That was clearly a contact. And Mr. Eggleston called Ms. Hanson to ask a question, about what Mr. Altman was going to say in the testimony, which was clearly a contact. There were 4 contacts the day before the testimony, and three times at the bearing the question was asked about contacts, and these four weren't mentioned. I could go on to try to clarify whether Ms. Hanson on her own volition would have ever called up Bernie Nussbaum and set up a meeting of the nature she did last September. I would recount ter testimony and question the logic that she could have or would have done it on her own. I'm not going to do that, given the late hour. But I want to conclude by simply asking Mr. Altman if he will submit in writing, based on everything that is now known, he knows or he can find, the answers to the questions that were asked on the February 24 bearing. One final letter where you go back, your staff goes back, reads the questions and answers the question in writing to complete this testimony. Are you willing to do that? Mr. ALTMAN. Sure. Senator KERRY. Which question? Senator GRAMM. All the questions that were asked that were not fully answered there. Mr. ALTMAN. You mean on February 24? Senator GRAMM. That's right. Now, Mr. Chairman, let me say Senator Dodd raised the issue about Mr. Altman. I want to make my comments. To some extent, when you are doing these things you are talking about human beings, and I want to say how I feel and what I think the issue is here. First of all, there is no better or brighter person in the Clinton Administration, in my opinion, than Roger Altman, He brought to this town a lot of ability and in terms of his service in the functions where he has been a policymaker, I have no complaint with what he has done nor have I had any intention here to do anything other than to focus in basically on one issue. And the issue is, as Members of this Committee, do we have a right to expect people who testify before our Committee to answer our questions fully and honestly. Now I believe and we all have our own beliefs-great thing about living in America-but I believe that objective people who have watched this whole hearing, who have looked at all the facts are going to conclude that Roger Altman may be brilliant, he may be accomplished, and he may be a very important member of the Clinton Administration and my guess, Mr. Altman is if you're not in the Clinton Administration in the future, they're going to have a 559 hard time finding somebody as good as you are. But I believe that an objective observer will conclude that Mr. Altman has not told us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,