Trey Gowdy: “I thank the chairman. This is a sad day, Mr. Speaker, for those of us who respect the rule of law as the foundation of…”

“I thank the chairman. This is a sad day, Mr. Speaker, for those of us who respect the rule of law as the foundation of this Republic, for those of us who proudly worked for the Department of Justice, for those of us who believe the same rules apply to everyone regardless of whether they live simple lives of peace and quiet or whether they live and work in the towers of power, prestige, and authority. The same rules apply to everyone. It is the greatness of this country, Mr. Speaker. It is the greatness, the elegance, the simplicity of a woman who is blindfolded holding nothing but a set of scales and a sword. The chief law enforcement official for this country is on the eve of being held in contempt of Congress because he refuses to follow the law. He refuses to allow Congress to find the truth, the whole truth. For those of you who want a negotiation, a compromise, an extraordinary accommodation, to use the Attorney General's words, for those of you who want to plea bargain, my question to you is simply this: Will you settle for 75 percent of the truth? Is 50 percent of the truth enough for you? Is a third? Or do you want it all? Because if you want all the truth, then you want all the documents. If you've ever sat down, Mr. Speaker, with the parents who have lost a child who has been murdered--and some of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have been there--it is a humbling, emotional, life-altering experience. All they want is the truth.…”