Insisting Department of Justice Comply with Requests and Subpoenas

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for the time.

What we are experiencing here in this moment in this Chamber is the greatest tribute to Federico Fellini that could ever be produced in this House. It is a theater of the absurd. It is a ruse on the American people and an attempt to defeat justice that will go back and expose activities involving Russia and participants in the 2016 election that resulted in the election of Donald Trump.

The fact is there is a special counsel investigating that, one of the most distinguished Americans ever, a Purple Heart recipient who went in the Marines because one of his friends was killed; and he volunteered to go to Vietnam, received a Purple Heart and other commendations, and then came back here and didn't practice law and make money and get greedy on 5th Avenue, but he pursued justice, and he put Gotti away, and he put Noriega away.

He has dealt with some of the worst people in this world, and it is a perfect calling for him to stand for the Constitution and for our country and for the rule of law and investigate possible collusion with Russia in our 2016 election and other activities.

The campaign manager for President Trump is in jail right now because, while out on bond, he did acts that the judge couldn't countenance and couldn't count on him not to engage in again, so she had to put him in jail.

There have been indictments. There have been guilty pleas by people close to the President.

The President is feeling the heat, and his acolytes here in the House of Representatives, rather than operating as a check and balance on the administration and protecting the flag, the Constitution, and doing their duty and their oath of office, are producing this ruse to make the American public think there is something wrong with our Justice Department, our FBI, and our special counsel, going after Mr. Mueller, a registered Republican; Mr. Rosenstein, a Republican appointed by Mr. Trump; and Mr. Wray at the FBI, a Republican appointed by Trump.

As we are here on this floor, the Judiciary Committee is having a sham hearing with Rosenstein and Wray, Republicans fighting Republicans to get information. But it is not Republicans fighting Republicans. It is Republicans fighting for Trump, who has taken over this party, a party that once proudly stood for people like Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower and George Bush and George H.W. Bush and even Abraham Lincoln, who most people know was a Republican.

What we are seeing is the takeover of our democracy, and this is the theater of the absurd. These documents should not be turned over, and the Justice Department doesn't turn them over because it would reveal sources and it would imperil an investigation.

God bless the United States, and may we protect Robert Mueller. I reiterate my oath to defend the Constitution.

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