Sheldon Whitehouse

Clearly, I mean, just on that alone, it does not even pass the dictionary test. Clearly, there is no independence.

So let us go to that point, because they did say that no amount of corporate spending--none, there is no limit on the amount of corporate spending in politics that could lead to either corruption or the appearance of corruption.

It looks like an interest group has put part of the Federal judiciary in its saddle.

It creates an egregious ethical conflict of interest bordering on wholly improper out-of-court communication with special interest lobbyists or representatives of people who have filed lawsuits.

As much as 40 percent of the Federal judiciary has gone to these special-interest-funded training sessions described by one writer as a 'cross between Maoist cultural re-education camps and Club Med.'

And Supreme Court Justices socialize with this small group, and then they go and they tender--render decisions that give that small group immense political advantage.

They set up an array of benign-sounding front groups to both organize and conceal their manipulation of our politics.

There is a--it has been I think fairly and fully documented that there is a small group of billionaires who are working very hard to influence and even to control our democracy: Kochs, Mercers, DeVoses, and, yes, Anschutzes.

I think you have seen more like 90 percent of the public unhappy with Citizens United because they see the problem that it caused in our democracy.

What could be more involved in politics than to open this ocean of dark money that flooded into our politics?

And got deeply involved in politics, did they not? They changed the entire political environment, the entire political ecosystem with one decision.

Do you really think that a Supreme Court that decided Citizens United does not get involved in politics?

All the 5-to-4 Republican appointee decisions line up to help corporations against humans.

The Court made new law, 5-to-4, and each decision predictably helped Republicans win elections.

What happens when the Republicans get five appointees on the Supreme Court?

We got four treaties passed, which may not seem like a big deal, but we did it in an afternoon.

I thank Senator Inhofe for joining our Oceans Caucus just recently.

I hope that we can focus on that.

I very much hope that, as we proceed with the initiative, Mr. Chairman, that we make oceans and coasts a significant part of this.

Too early to tell, but I think it is important that the defenses be up so that you can tell when it happens and you can forestall it when it begins.

We're just going to continue going forward. Chairman Graham announced today that our next hearing would be on the subject of how you protect an ongoing investigation from White House political interference.

I think they are probably trying to find a decent way to back off and I think also, they know this is a sparkly object that the media will chase.

In law enforcement, a wiretap is a wiretap, and you need a warrant to get one and it lets you listen in on the substance of the conversation, and it's a term of art and it's one that we intend to run down.

No, we have not and we'll probably hold, it's the chairman's call, not mine, on pursuing further measures to try to get that information until we've had their explanation.

Comey would not confirm whether or not the FBI is indeed investigating Trump campaign ties to Russia.