Political Quotes

“Today is a very sad day for us for more than one reason. One reason is, though, the matter that is before us. I had hoped, frankly, that this day would never have come, that the respectful negotiations that should take place between article I, the legislative branch, and article II, the executive branch, would have yielded the information that is necessary for Congress to make its decisions. I thank Chairman Conyers for his distinguished lifetime leadership of protecting the Constitution of the United States. We all take that oath of office, every single one of us who serves. Indeed, every person who serves in any civic capacity in our country does so. Today, we are honoring our oath of office with this resolution that is before us. Again, I rise in sadness, not in confrontation. This is not a conflict that the Congress has sought. In fact, as the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee has indicated, the committee has repeatedly sought to avoid confrontation, repeatedly making requests that have been ignored or rejected by the White House on completely unacceptable terms. The Judiciary Committee, indeed the Congress, is clearly entitled to this information. It involves neither national security information nor communications with the President. The President has no grounds to assert executive privilege.”