Trey Gowdy: “I want to thank Chairman Goodlatte. I also want to thank my friend and colleague from the great State of South Carolina…”

“I want to thank Chairman Goodlatte. I also want to thank my friend and colleague from the great State of South Carolina, Mr. Tom Rice, whose legal research and expertise and acumen and leadership is one of the reasons we are here today. I also am curious about this notion of prosecutorial discretion. I am curious, even though I was a prosecutor for 16 years. I guess I am curious, Mr. Chairman, as to whether there are any limitations on this thing they call prosecutorial discretion. Can the President refuse to enforce discrimination laws under that same theory of prosecutorial discretion? Can the President refuse to enforce election laws under that same theory of prosecutorial discretion? Mr. Chairman, how about term limits? Do we have to have an election in November? I mean, if he is well-intentioned, as long as his heart is in the right place, if you can suspend other categories of laws, why not? If prosecutorial discretion is as broad as our colleagues on the other side of the aisle want us to believe it is, are there any limits, Mr. Chairman, to this thing they call prosecutorial discretion? There are laws that prohibit conduct, like laws against possession of child pornography. There are laws that require conduct, like filing a tax return in April. Is the Chief Executive equally capable of suspending both categories of law, Mr. Chairman? Is he? Can he suspend those that require conduct as well as those that prevent conduct?…”