I'm listening to her as well. Good news indeed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of January 20, 2004, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, in front of the grand edifice known as our National Archives, where this Nation's records and a good bit of its written history is kept, are these words: ``What is past is prologue.'' And yet today, in the wake of last night's wire service and subsequent press reports, perhaps that should be amended to read, ``What is past is purloined'' or ``What is secret is stolen.''
Mr. Speaker, press accounts today indicate that former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger is the focus of a criminal investigation dealing with the theft of classified documents in the care of our National Archives. It seems that former National Security Adviser Berger, at the direction of former President Clinton, was sent to the National Archives to review documents that might be germane to the mission of the bipartisan 9/ll Commission examining the events of 9/11 and the security situation and intelligence situation which our country confronts.
Mr. Speaker, according to press accounts, former National Security Adviser Berger took copies of some documents. By some accounts he stuffed them into his pants, into his pants pockets, and he left the National Archives with secret material.
Now, Mr. Speaker, in a rather pathetic effort at defense, Mr. Berger's attorney said that his client's actions were inadvertent. I thank my colleague from Kansas for handing me the unabridged dictionary of the English language from which I will read today: ``Inadvertent: Unintentional, not attentive, heedless of, pertaining to, or characterized by a lack of attention.'' Inadvertent.
That is curious. The former National Security Adviser inadvertently putting classified documents into his pockets; inadvertently leaving the archives with classified material? Oh yes, his legal counsel went on to say that our former National Security Adviser was sloppy. Sloppy? Inadvertent? No, Mr. Speaker, there was a purpose to what Mr. Berger did. What was Mr. Berger, Mr. Speaker, trying to keep from the American people and from the 9/11 Commission?
It seems to me, Mr. Speaker, before any report is released, we should find out exactly what documents were taken and exactly what those documents indicated. This is not an inadvertent act. This is not an act of sloppiness. It is an act that is criminal, and it carries with it not only consequences for Mr. Berger, I daresay it carries with it, sadly, perhaps even deadly consequences for the United States.
It is not sloppiness that led to a lack of security. It is not an inadvertent act. There are purposes behind those who would attempt to shield the truth, and those purposes need to be determined and the American people need to be aware of what action was taken or what action was not taken by those who served in positions of trust, by those who purport to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
And, even at this time of year, where inevitably the call from the left will be that this is some effort to politicize what has transpired, Mr. Speaker, this is too important for politics. This is national survival.
No, what is past is prologue. And, Mr. Speaker, I pray it is not prologue to yet another attack.