Hearing of the House Judiciary Committee - Opening Statement of Rep. Nadler, Hearing on Nadler Renews Call for Committee to Hold Trump Accountable

Hearing

"Mr. Chairman, before I turn to the issue before us this morning, I must comment on a truly disturbing phenomenon. Whether or not the Attorney General's decision to fire Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was justified, none of us should take pleasure in this ending to the career of a man who has dedicated his life to the Bureau. Yet President Trump relished it. He took to Twitter to celebrate. And when he was done dragging Mr. McCabe through the mud yet again, he set his sights on his real target--Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

""A total WITCH HUNT,' he declared again yesterday morning. And in response to this attack, the Majority here has said nothing.

"We have asked, time and again, for this Committee to take action. In letter after letter, we have asked you to hold hearings on the President's overt attempts to undermine the Department of Justice. We have asked you to conduct basic oversight of the Administration, to help us secure the information we all need to do our jobs, and to protect an ongoing criminal investigation from a President who clearly does not want the investigation to continue and to find the truth.

"And what is your response? Silence. A complete abdication of our constitutional responsibility to hold the executive branch accountable to the American people for its misconduct, misguided policies, and general abuses of power.

"What will it take, Mr. Chairman? How far must the President push before the Majority will stand with us and tell him that he is wrong?"

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