[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H2751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                           TIME FOR THE TRUTH

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. EMANUEL. Madam Speaker, from the beginning, the Bush 
administration has offered a litany of reasons to justify their 
decision to fire the U.S. Attorneys. Unfortunately, the answers they 
provided have never even held up for 48 hours.
  First, the Bush administration said the attorneys were fired because 
of performance-related issues. Yet we find out these attorneys have 
exemplary records. The Deputy Attorney General did not even review the 
file of one of the fired U.S. Attorneys.
  Then the administration said it was an internal staffing issue and 
pointed the finger at Harriet Miers. And now other top White House 
officials not only knew about it from the beginning, but were behind 
the firings.
  Yesterday the White House said that they will talk to Congress, but 
they will not take the oath and swear to tell the whole truth.
  The White House says they have nothing to hide, but they are only 
willing to speak behind closed doors, not under oath. Our goal is to 
finally get to the truth, but not to create a confrontation.
  The scandal at the Justice Department has gone on long enough. 
Careers have been destroyed, and legitimate public corruption cases 
have been derailed. It is time for accountability. It is time for the 
truth.

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