Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I would just say that for those who are interested in reading the response--interestingly, I didn't get a response from the Attorney General, to whom I addressed the letter; I got a response from the Assistant Attorney General. I read it over and over and over again, and it doesn't agree to the appointment of a special counsel and it doesn't refuse to appoint a special counsel. In other words, it is a non-answer to the question. I don't know what reason the Attorney General or the Department of Justice might have for leaving this open-ended and not actually declining at this time to appoint a special counsel, if that is their conclusion, but they simply didn't answer the question. I would just say in conclusion that my constituents in Texas sent me here to serve as a check on the executive branch, and I am going to continue to press the Attorney General and the rest of the administration for answers because the American people deserve the sort of accountability and, indeed, in the end, justice that need to be delivered in this case--not a sweep under the rug, not a playing out the clock until the end of the administration, but answers that can only come from an independent investigation conducted by a special counsel. Mr. President, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.”