[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 16, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2715-S2716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TRANSCRIPT RELEASE

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I want to address an issue that was 
brought up by the minority leader on the floor this morning. I want to 
respond to the false statements made by the very misinformed minority 
leader this morning--and I mean really misinformed.
  He criticized the Judiciary Committee's release this morning of about 
2,500 pages of information about the infamous Trump Tower meeting with 
a Russian lawyer and Donald Trump, Jr.
  First, he mischaracterized the release as solely a Republican move. 
That is false. In fact, that is absolutely false. This release was done 
with the support of the ranking minority member. On January 25 of this 
year, at the committee meeting where I announced my desire to release 
the transcripts, the ranking member publicly supported the decision. I 
have three quotes. She said, ``I am delighted.'' She said she had ``no 
disagreement.'' She said, ``I am very grateful for your decision to 
proceed.''
  Second, he accused me of deciding not to interview two participants 
in the meeting. That is false. In fact, it is absolutely false. I would 
like to have interviewed both Mr. Manafort and Mr. Kushner. An 
interview of Mr. Manafort was scheduled a day before he was raided. 
We--meaning Senator Feinstein and this Senator--had subpoenaed Mr. 
Manafort for a committee hearing set for July 26, 2017. Mr. Manafort 
instead offered to appear voluntarily for a staff interview the day 
before the hearing, and the ranking member asked me to withdraw the 
subpoena. Then the FBI raided his home, and Mr. Manafort indicated he 
would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights and then consequently declined 
to answer the committee's questions. However, we did review the 
transcript of his earlier interview with the Intelligence Committee.
  The ranking member refused to participate in a voluntary interview 
when we had the chance. She said Democrats on the committee objected 
that the scope would be focused on the Trump Tower meeting. For all I 
know, the minority leader's office objected as well, but political 
leadership should not be dictating bipartisan committee oversight.
  As for Mr. Kushner, he refused to participate in a voluntary 
interview after the ranking member unilaterally and

[[Page S2716]]

prematurely released another witness transcript. There was no 
consultation with me at all by the minority on that point. That is the 
opposite of how this Senator handled this morning's transcript release.
  Mr. Kushner's attorney demanded promises of confidentiality that we 
could not provide. Transparency is too important to keep all this 
information under wraps. We could keep it all secret for many more 
months while we fight over trying to force people to testify against 
their will. But we decided to put out the voluntary testimony now for 
the sake of transparency, and the ranking member, as I said two or 
three times, supported that decision.
  Third, the minority leader claimed that the release of this 
information was motivated by the Republicans' desire to ``let the 
President and his lawyers interfere with the Mueller probe and get a 
peek at any potential evidence.'' That is false. In fact, it is 
absolutely false.
  Again, the Democrats on the committee did not object to the release, 
and the ranking member affirmatively supported it. She and her staff 
were fully consulted and worked cooperatively with us in preparing the 
release. So the claim that there was some secret plan to help one side 
or the other in the Mueller probe is absurd. My only motivation was the 
same as that of the ranking member--transparency for the American 
people on this controversy. Let the people read it for themselves and 
draw their own conclusions.
  Fourth, the minority leader claimed that ``Republicans are rushing to 
declare their investigation complete.'' That is false. In fact, it is 
absolutely false. The minority leader should not try to put words in my 
mouth. I didn't say that. Anyone who knows me knows that oversight is 
never done and should never be done. It is our core constitutional 
duty.
  Now as to the Trump Tower meeting, Congress has learned as much as we 
are likely to learn, unless some new information comes to light. That 
might happen. We have to be ready for it if it does. Other committees, 
the press, and the special counsel are all over this as well. So there 
is no lack of scrutiny. But there is a lack of transparency, and these 
2,500 pages or so do more to give the public a picture of what happened 
than anyone else has done.
  I would just ask my friend the minority leader: What have you done to 
answer the questions our constituents may have had about the Trump 
Tower meeting? What good-faith efforts have you undertaken to give the 
American people transparency about the investigation relating not just 
to the Trump Presidency but Presidential contenders in 2016? Have you 
done anything to support or assist Republicans in getting to the bottom 
of questions that concern them and their constituents back home? The 
answer is, nothing. In fact, the answer is, absolutely nothing--
absolutely nothing but speculation and frenzy. It is nothing but pure 
political frustration for losing the Presidential election in 2016. It 
also fundamentally misunderstands the role of congressional oversight 
and congressional investigations. We don't prosecute crimes. We can't 
indict suspected criminals. Our job is to act as a check on the 
executive branch.
  Do you know who has not come to sit for long, transcribed interviews 
before the Judiciary Committee staff? Well, the answer to that is 
current or former Department of Justice and FBI officials--not a single 
one. Our job is to oversee the Justice Department and to oversee the 
FBI, but Judiciary Committee Democrats have not been supportive or 
interested in questioning those officials.
  The minority leader seems to believe that it is our job to waste 
taxpayers' dollars retreading the special counsel's investigation or 
duplicating the Intelligence Committee's work so he can bludgeon his 
political opponents. Well, that is not my job. I am going to focus on 
our constitutional duty to act as a check on the executive branch. I am 
going to keep digging and keep fighting for answers from the Justice 
Department and from the FBI.
  We will be having a hearing on the controversies in 2016 that 
undermined Americans' faith in the objectivity of these vital 
institutions. I have great faith in the inspector general appointed by 
President Obama and the nonpartisan office he leads. As soon as the 
inspector general's report is out, we will learn a lot more about what 
happened before and during the election from an independent and 
objective source, and we will follow up.
  The minority leader was right about one thing--when he said: ``There 
is much left to investigate. Many witnesses still to be heard.'' I 
agree. This is not over.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Tillis). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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