Closing Subcommittee

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Republicans delivered a victory present to Newt Gingrich by imposing a January 21 deadline on the Ethics Subcommittee investigation into his fundraising activities. In an unusual Inauguration Day floor battle, Democrats attempted to extend the investigation. They were supported even by the Republican members of the subcommittee, who argued that members could not process the reams testimony and evidence collected on Gingrich in the time allowed. TIME's Tamala Edwards reports that a Republican leadership wanting to put the Gingrich investigation behind them has been helped by the extremely slow pace of the inquiry: "The problem is the subcommittee has asked people to be patient for so long."