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Rep. Jayapal Derides House Republicans for Hijacking Markup on Session’s Recusal and Comey Firing Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to consider the Jayapal-Cicilline resolution of inquiry seeking information pertaining to Attorney General Sessions’ involvement in the firing of FBI Director James Comey in violation of his recusal and related matters.

Instead of conducting oversight of the executive branch, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee substituted large swaths of the Jayapal-Cicilline resolution with language requesting information on a wide range of far-right conspiracy theories about the Clinton campaign.  

“Today, congressional Republicans showed they are intransigent, refusing to hold even a single hearing into the outrageous behavior by the Trump administration. They gutted our resolution of inquiry into the firing of James Comey by – literally – trying to erase any discussion of it from the resolution. Instead, they substituted in language from bogus, right-wing conspiracy theories about former officials who currently hold no office.

“I am ready to govern. And, as a member of Congress, I take seriously my duty to exercise oversight of the executive branch. Tomorrow marks the 43rd anniversary of the crucial vote that happened in this very committee approving House Judiciary’s first article of impeachment charging President Nixon with obstruction of justice.

“Even when the Senate Judiciary committee is exercising its power to conduct oversight and protect our democracy, Republicans on the House Judiciary committee are refusing to take necessary action.”

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have been calling on their Republican colleagues to conduct oversight of the Trump administration, but the committee has not held a single hearing on these matters. House Judiciary Democrats have written to Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) four times to request hearings on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Judiciary Democrats have also filed four resolutions of inquiry (Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s (D-NY) resolution of inquiry; Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Ted Lieu’s (D-CA) resolution of inquiry; and Rep. Mike Quigley’s (D-IL) resolution of inquiry) to compel information from the Trump administration, only to be blocked by their Republican colleagues.

 

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