Roy Blunt: “I am fully supportive of the prerogatives of the Congress. I think the Congress has a right to ask for, receive, demand…”

“I am fully supportive of the prerogatives of the Congress. I think the Congress has a right to ask for, receive, demand information from the administration; but I don't think that right extends to this case. I think the idea that we would expect to get information that is dealing with advice to the President on the status of at-will employees is a loser for us on the House floor. It's a loser for us in court. It will set back the prerogatives of the Congress; and beyond that, I think the idea that we're here today, as we see the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act get less value to us every day because we're unwilling to deal with a permanent solution, this is the wrong debate to have at any time. It's certainly the wrong debate to have at this time. And the idea that somehow if we extend that act, if we've done all we could do by trying to extend an act, a bipartisan group of Members of this Congress for various reasons said we don't want to extend and then we come back today and we take our time focusing on a contempt charge on two dedicated civil servants is the wrong thing to do at any time, and it's particularly the wrong thing to do at this time.”