Chuck Schumer: “I would be happy to yield in a minute. We would be giving away the store without accomplishing our goal if we agreed…”

“I would be happy to yield in a minute. We would be giving away the store without accomplishing our goal if we agreed, before we heard the answers, that we would agree to a date certain on the vote. Perhaps we should have the hearing, see how he answers those questions, and then see where we are. If he is much more forthcoming, whatever his answers are, we might be able to make some progress. But if he gives the same exact answers as he gave 3 weeks ago, I for one could not agree to just having a vote on him unless we get the best evidence, the written evidence, which the administration will not give up. You are right. It is not Miguel Estrada, but it is the administration which has nominated him. So they are not sort of players from far away; they are part of this whole process. Other administrations, Democrat and Republican, have given up the same types of documents. I don't want to get into a debate about that now, but that is our confirmed view. So an alternative which I cannot even--I would have to talk to my colleagues about--would be: Let us have another day of hearings and then let us see what happens there and see where we go. But I think it would not make any sense, any sense whatsoever, to say today, or tomorrow, we will have a vote as long as he comes back. Because what if he does the same exact thing he did last time, which I know you find was fulsome and reliable--not reliable, but fulsome and elucidating testimony, but I found to be completely evasive.”