Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr (Reuters)

Congress is debating whether to renew the 21-year-old independent counsel law, which expires June 30. Key stories and background from The Post.

Power Shifts to Justice Department
June 30, 1999
The independent counsel law that empowered Kenneth W. Starr's five-year investigation of President Clinton will expire at midnight, and responsibility for investigating the White House will revert to the Justice Department.

Looking Beyond Independent Counsels
June 22, 1999
A key Senate Republican is proposing to vest in the attorney general all authority to appoint special counsels to investigate high-level corruption, subject to rules approved by Congress.

Independent Counsel Law Set to Lapse
June 5, 1999
Neither house of Congress has taken even the first formal step to extend the independent counsel law's life, which expires June 30.

Starr Blames His Accusers
April 15, 1999
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr said political attacks against him showed the limitations of the independent counsel law.

Starr to Oppose Counsel Statute
April 14, 1999
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr opposes renewing the law that gave him the authority to investigate President Clinton.

Starr to Testify on Independent Counsel Law
April 8, 1999
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr and members of the three-judge panel that oversees him will testify before a Senate committee considering whether to renew the independent counsel law.

High Cost of Special Probes Detailed
April 1, 1999
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr spent $6.2 million during the six months last year when he was deposing former White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky and concluding his impeachment case against President Clinton, according to the General Accounting Office.

Investigation Veterans Back Counsel Law
March 25, 1999
Two veterans of high-profile investigations of presidents urged a Senate committee to reauthorize the controversial independent counsel law but narrow the scope of future investigations that are triggered by the measure.

Coalition Might Save Counsel Law
March 18, 1999
Some key Senators are uneasy about about turning over to Attorney General Janet Reno most of the power for investigating cases of misconduct by high government officials.

Looking Inward at Justice
March 17, 1999
Attorney General Janet Reno – who five years ago urged Congress to reauthorize the independent counsel law – is expected to recommend giving the Justice Department most duties now performed by independent counsels.

Counsel Law Exhumed, for Now
March 4, 1999
Veteran white-collar criminal attorneys proposed improvements to the independent counsel law at a Senate hearing.

'Managers' Question Shift
March 3, 1999
Two GOP House "managers" in the Senate impeachment trial indicated that they have strong reservations about shifting responsibility for investigating high-level corruption.

Administration Reverses Position
March 2, 1999
The Justice Department now considers the independent counsel law to be "fundamentally flawed" and will not support its renewal.

Key Senators See End to Law
March 1, 1999
Senate leaders predicted that the counsel law will not be reauthorized and said the Justice Department should investigate future allegations concerning high government officials.

Restraint Urged on Changes
February 25, 1999
The leading Republican in the Senate Watergate probe called on Congress to "cool off" before sealing the fate of the independent counsel law.

Consensus Won't Halt Debate
February 24, 1999
After years of drawn-out investigations, Congress is ready to curb -- or even scrap -- the independent counsel law.

Holder Says Law Needs Repair
February 19, 1999
The deputy attorney general advocated changes the Watergate-inspired Independent Counsel Act.

Bar Opposes Independent Counsels
February 9, 1999
The American Bar Association, which once led the drive for an independent counsel law, recommended that Congress let it die.

Prosecution and Persecution
January 18, 1999
A deep divide is evident between Washington's prosecutorial culture and the many Americans who balk at the intrusion into privacy.

Senate Chair Favors Ending Counsel Law
December 11, 1998
The independent counsel law will be allowed to expire if the leading Senate Republican with jurisdiction over the statute has his way.

Espy Case Heightens Criticism on Counsel Law
December 4, 1998
The acquittal of the former agriculture secretary intensified a chorus of complaints about the independent counsel law.

Clinton May Rethink Renewing Counsel Law
May 17, 1998
The law that President Clinton supported and signed is now reviled at the White House by nearly everyone from the president down.