estigations required by the House, it was necessary to employ an outstanding professional staff of criminal investigators, which should be independent and objective and, therefore, not allied with any of the executive agencies previously involved in the investigation of the assassinations. Prior to the end of the 94th Congress, the committee had obtained the services of experienced professionals and support staff which had already embarked on the investigations.
The committee attempted to undertake a painstaking, methodical investigation into the assassinations to resolve these doubts. For technical and administrative reasons the committee had some difficulties in the course of the investigation. For example, the Committee did not have access to certain files on the assassination for approximately two months, telephone service was disconnected for the same period, preventing the staff from maintaining contact with witnesses and potential witnesses; and other problems which severely restricted the committee in its investigative efforts.
The House Select Committee on Assassinations, created by House Resolution 1540, expired as the 94th Congress ended its term on January 3, 1977. On January 4, 1977, a unanimous consent request was introduced to consider House Resolution 9, as amended, and was favorably reported by the Rules Committee as House Resolution 222 on February 1, 1977.
The creation of a congressional committee to investigate assassinations, as well as issues concerning the nature and cost of the proposed investigations, created considerable controversy in the country. House Resolution 222 proposed to constitute the committee for only an additional two months, to the end of March 1977, so that these issues could be more closely examined. On February 2, 1977, House Resolution 222 was considered by the House as the Committee of the Whole, so that amendments could be offered from the floor and members given an o...