On the recordFebruary 14, 2017
Mr. Speaker, Michael Flynn's resignation does not close the book on the administration's coziness with Russia. It confirms the urgent need for a bipartisan investigation of Russia's ties to the Trump administration and its ongoing influence. It confirms the urgent need for the President to release his tax returns so the American people can see any business ties that the President has to Russia. We need a full, independent inquiry into not just the actions of Michael Flynn in one conversation with the Vice President, but the ongoing connections between the administration and Russia, because the one thing we know for sure is it doesn't stop there. President Trump's fawning praise of Putin and the previous resignation of other aides over their Russian ties made it clear that this is a problem that goes beyond General Flynn. What we have learned over the past 24 hours is that colluding with a foreign government or lying to the Vice President and others is not what brought Flynn down. It seems that it was only the disclosure of those lies that made it untenable for Flynn to remain. The White House was apparently okay with everything until the American people found out. We need to find out what else the White House and President Trump doesn't want us to know about their connection to the foreign power that interfered with our election, and we need to start today. ____________________





