[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 53 (Monday, March 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CALLING FOR INDEPENDENT COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE ACTIVITIES OF THE
KREMLIN
(Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, as revelations of Russian
interference in our democracy continue to emerge, the need for a full
and transparent investigation by an independent commission could not be
more clear. The reason is simple: We need badly to restore trust in our
government.
Though the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have begun
related inquiries, neither will have fully investigated the activities
of the Kremlin or its agents. Not a single member of the administration
has testified under oath about their contacts with Moscow. The inherent
politicization of these committees has made it nearly impossible for
any congressional body to render the nonpartisan, irrefutable answers
the American people deserve.
As a member of the House Oversight Committee, I echo Senator John
McCain's call that Congress ``no longer has the credibility to handle
this alone.'' Now is the time for an independent commission to fully
investigate the ties between the Kremlin and the White House, along
with Russia's broader interference in our democracy.
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