Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, initiating an independent counsel investigation comes with many political and constitutional challenges. These individuals were vested with full power and independent authority to exercise all investigative and prosecutorial functions and powers of the Department of Justice with respect to matters within their jurisdiction. When the independent counsel statute was reauthorized in 1994, an amendment was made to the law requiring the Government Accountability Office to conduct periodic audits of independent counsel expenditures. This amendment gave Congress the ability to audit any and all independent counsel expenses and investigate how those taxpayer dollars were spent. This is an important procedure that was repealed in 2010, and it is time Congress act to restore this key oversight provision. My amendment reestablishes the semiannual Government Accountability Office financial review of obligated expenditures from the independent counsel and requires the report's findings to be submitted to Congress. While the work of an independent counsel is indeed important, it is just as important that we properly take account of where the hardworking American taxpayers' dollars go. So to ensure this accountability, I want to urge the passage of this amendment. I want to take one personal privilege of thanking the fine work of Chad Yelinski. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.”