[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4228-H4229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HOLDING WHITE HOUSE ACCOUNTABLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Jeffries) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives is a separate 
and coequal branch of government. We don't work for Donald Trump; we 
work for the people of this great Nation. The events of the last few 
months have been deeply troubling. I am trying to figure out when will 
my colleagues on the other side of the aisle decide that it is time to 
do your jobs and hold the White House accountable for its actions. When 
will you do your job?
  Seventeen different intelligence agencies concluded that Russia 
interfered with our election for the purpose of helping to elect Donald 
Trump, but that was not enough. High-level Trump allies such as Carter 
Page, his foreign policy adviser; Michael Flynn, his first National 
Security Advisor; Jeff Sessions, his Attorney General; Paul Manafort, 
his campaign chairman; Michael Cohen, his personal attorney; Roger 
Stone, his longtime political confidant; Jared Kushner, his senior 
adviser and son-in-law--top Trump allies were having communications 
with the Russians at the same time that they were hacking into our 
election. But apparently, that was not enough.

                              {time}  1015

  Michael Flynn, the first National Security Advisor, was demonstrated 
to have had an illegal conversation with the Russian Ambassador in 
December of 2016. He then lied about it to the Vice President, who then 
delivered misleading information to the American people. But guess 
what. For my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, that was not 
enough.
  The Attorney General testified under oath before Congress, and he 
said he had no communications with the Russians during the campaign. It 
was subsequently proven that he communicated with them twice at the 
Republican National Convention and then a few months later in his 
office. He either lied under oath, committed perjury, or delivered 
misleading information to Congress, which would be a misdemeanor. 
Either way, he likely committed a crime. Silence from the other side. 
Apparently that was not enough.

[[Page H4229]]

  Donald Trump refuses to release his tax returns, unlike every other 
President since Gerald Ford, Republicans and Democrats.
  What is the President hiding?
  We can't figure it out. And apparently for the other side, that is 
not enough.
  The Deputy Attorney General, Sally Yates, was fired by the President 
shortly after she went to the White House and revealed her suspicion 
that Michael Flynn may be a Russian asset. But apparently that was not 
enough.
  The President fired Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern 
District of New York, shortly after it was publically revealed that his 
office was investigating one of Trump's Cabinet Secretaries and close 
allies at FOX News. But for my Republican colleagues on the other side 
of the aisle, that was not enough.
  The former FBI Director revealed that the Trump campaign was under 
criminal investigation for possible collusion with the Russians. But 
for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, even that was not 
enough.
  Then the President fires the FBI Director who is leading the 
investigation into his campaign after it appears he urged the FBI 
Director to drop the case against his buddy Michael Flynn. But even for 
my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, that is not enough.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a cloud of corruption hanging over 1600 
Pennsylvania Avenue. We are in the midst of a constitutional crisis. It 
is time for the Speaker to get his head out of the sand. It is time for 
House Republicans to do the right thing. Support our demand for a 
special prosecutor. Support our legislation for an independent 
commission. It is time for House Republicans to put their country ahead 
of their party.

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