to unclog the stalemate has remedied the situation. and now the committee has taken a number of cases, as you pointed out in your lead-in, and has disposed of even more than those cases, either deciding that there was no case or going forward. >> i guess i go back -- is this loophole basically avoiding -- avoiding an investigation -- and i know you said the office -- should congress try to test this and see if they have authority so that basically members don't escape? >> well, one thing i would say, and this is my defense lawyer speaking, leaving congress is no small matter. to the extent that someone motivated, stimulated to leave congress because of an ongoing inquiry, that's a fairly dramatic act of -- >> shurks keeping the benefits, might be keeping their pension. shouldn't congress have the ability to investigate an exmember and perhaps penalize them on the pension, you know, something like that? >> there are laws now if you are convicted of certain high crimes