August 4, 1994 - Part 5
August 4, 1994 - Part 5
(13:05:44) Ms. WILLIAMS. In my opinion, she was spending time with Counsel that should have been spent on Health Care. Senator KERRY. Well, is it fair to say she was distracted from the rest of the agenda? Ms. WILLIAMS. She was not distracted, but I believe that we could have been much more proactive if the time that she was spending on answering questions, press inquiries and on being talked to by her personal lawyer were spent proactively on Health Care. Senator KERRY. Well, I understand that. But look, it seems to me that if she's spending a lot of hours on something that she didn't want to spend time on, she's distracted. Ms. WILLIAMS. That would be a fair characterization. Senator KERRY. I mean the President himself announced, and here is The Wall Street Journal article saying the President is backing down in an effort to protect the rest of his agenda. I mean, he was aware that this was invading the time and energy of the White House and he needed to deal with it. And dealing with it is precisely what was mentioned in Mr. Altman's diary where he says, "If we don't solve this within the next two days you don't have to worry about her schedule on Health Care"; correct? 334 Ms. WILLIAMS. I'm sorry. Could you repeat that, please? Senator KERRY. "If we don't solve this"-this is reading from Roger Altman's diary--"If we don't solve this within the next two days, you don't have to worry about her schedule on Health Care." Ms. WILLIAMS. And the question is, sir? Senator KERRY. The question is wasn't this in fact solved within the next 2 days when the President appointed a Special Counsel and turned all the documents over to the Justice Department? Ms, WILLIAMS. Yes, I guess to some degree it was. Senator KERRY. So I mean this, it seems to me, is sort of an accurate reflection of the state of affairs at the time and nothing inconsistent with what you have testified of what was in fact happening at that point in time. Ms. WILLIAMS. Well, sir, if I can just make a brief point here. The question with respect to the diary was whether or not I had had these conversations with Mr. Altman, and 1 felt in responding to the questions I had to say in all honesty that, to the best of my recollection, I did not have these conversations with him. With respect to what the mood of the White House was or whether or not his diary actually reflects the mood, I won't-I won't speak to that, but I will say that the questions were did you have these conversations with Mr. Altman, and I must say that to the best of my recollection, I did not. That is not to say that Mr. Altman could have been reading the newspapers, looking at what was in the public domain and coming to these things himself. I am saying that I did not have these conversations with Mr. Altman, to the best of my recollection. Senator KERRY. At this meeting on Health Care, you made no comment to him at all about the degree to which Hillary Clinton was wrapped up in this or involved in it or couldn't be involved in the Health Care schedule? Ms. WILLIAMS. What I said and excuse me, what I said was, to the best of my recollection, I did not have these specific conversations with Mr. Altman as reflected by his words and his writings, but what I also did volunteer to this Committee was that I had been saying to anyone who would listen that I believed Whitewater was a distraction from the President's agenda and I did not understand how 17 years of Arkansas history was related to feeding people, clothing people, giving people Health Care. I was outspoken. I said that. I said it over and over. Senator KERRY. And you might have said it to Mr. Altman? Ms. WILLIAMS, It is possible he could have heard me say that. Senator KERRY. Thank you very much. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Kerry. Senator D'AMATO. Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Senator D'Amato, I want to just also indicate Senator Moseley-Braun has not yet had a chance and will want to take one. Senator D'AMATO. Same thing with Senator Domenici. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Domenici, you've not had a round yet either, have you? We have two Members that need to do that. Senator D'Amato. Senator D'AMATO. Mr. Chairman, I'm going to yield. I want to, make an observation. 335 I think Senator Kerry has done us a great service in putting forth the fact that all of those things were in the public domain. And the matters