Clinton Censure Proposed
Democratic Rep. William Delahunt of Massachusetts said Tuesday that he will offer a motion to censure President Clinton. Delahunt is among the House Judiciary Committee's most outspoken critics of impeachment, CBS News Senior White House Correspondent Scott Pelley reports.
Sources say Delahunt's motion would essentially say that the House of Representatives "disapproves of and rebukes" the behavior of the president.
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That's it. No punishment. Delahunt says Mr. Clinton could still be prosecuted for perjury after he leaves office.
Republicans are not likely to go along, but the motion gives Democrats an alternative to vote for.
In a related development, sources say Mr. Clinton is planning a minimal defense to the allegations made by Independent Counsel Ken Starr.
The president may spend some time Tuesday working on the answers to 81 questions that the GOP-controlled committee sent him. He is asked to confirm or deny specific allegations regarding his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
Those answers will be turned over this week. The White House does not plan to send any more evidence to the committee. Mr. Clinton's lawyers are actively discussing plans to make one summary statement to the committee and call no witnesses.
With time running short for any expansion of the inquiry, committee Republicans scheduled a Dec. 1 public hearing on the consequences of perjury.
Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., is tentatively planning for the panel to complete its work the week of Dec. 7, committee officials said. That would allow the House to convene the following week to vote on any committee-approved articles of impeachment.
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