Bob Goodlatte

The criminal investigation is closed. There was no intentional wrongdoing.

The American people also expect government officials to abide by the law just like everyone else.

We must not give in to hate and let emotion replace reason.

The divisiveness between our police and our communities must end.

This one focusing on the mandatory Federal spending that risks stripping current and future generations of so many of the opportunities previous generations enjoyed.

In addition to efficiency, the American people expect transparency with respect to judicial actions.

It is healthy for Congress, which has responsibility for authorizing funding for the judiciary, to review spending by the judiciary.

The American people look to our Nation's courts to be efficient, transparent, and fair arbiters for settling disputes when they arise.

America, as a Nation of laws; with laws, come disputes and differences of opinion.

Among the grievances that the signers of the Declaration of Independence lodged against King George was overregulation: 'He has erected a multitude of New Offices and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their…

Overregulation is not a new issue, and the reason why this hearing is timely is it comes right after Independence Day.

I would caution this Committee to be very careful in the way it words its censure resolution.

The Constitution sets forth a system of checks and balances, which grants each branch of government tools to ensure that no one branch of government attains too much power.

This IRS targeting scandal was nothing short of shocking. It was a political plan to silence the voices of groups representing millions of Americans.

It is clear that our Founders believed that the free expression of ideas are integral to the wellbeing of our Nation.

I regret that we are not using the time today to hold a hearing on criminal justice reform, gun violence prevention, legislation to protect the intellectual property rights of artists and musicians or comprehensive immigration reform.

I'm personally moving forward to drop legislation that reenacts Title VI of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 where independent counsel can be appointed to investigate these matters so justice can be served.

I just think that this is respectfully a remedy in search of a problem and that we have better things that we could be doing with our taxpayer dollars to put the American people in a better place in terms of their quality of life.

It seems to me a dereliction of duty when you wait 4 months to tell Congress, right?

When the vast majority of the House and the Senate, Republicans and Democrats alike, can agree that the evidence to support impeaching Commissioner Koskinen is not there, I think it's time to move on from these games and do some real work.

I am personally disappointed that we plan to spend not just today but an additional day in June discussing these unsubstantiated claims.

You've got to get rid of this guy. He cannot be defended by Republicans again. This is outrageous.

Well, thank you, Chairman King, for convening this fifth hearing of the Task Force on Executive Overreach, this one focusing on executive overreach in Federal regulations.

I commend you for that.

The modern Federal administrative state is an institution unforeseen by the Framers of our Constitution and rapidly mushrooming out of control.