[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 63 (Thursday, April 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2405-S2406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Attorney General William Barr

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, well, if anyone wonders whether Attorney 
General Barr is a straight shooter, this week, we got our answer.
  Yesterday, at the Senate Appropriations Committee, the country saw 
another disconcerting performance by the Attorney General. In the face 
of serious questions surrounding the release of the Mueller report, the 
Attorney General did exactly what President Trump wanted: He dodged 
questions, peddled a conspiracy theory, and, like the President, lobbed 
baseless accusations. It is clear that for Mr. Barr, the title he holds 
is far less important than the boss he serves.
  What he did not say is that Russia attacked our democracy, as all 17 
Agencies of our intelligence community have confirmed. What he did not 
say is that the intelligence community concluded that the Russians 
infiltrated our democracy to help Donald Trump. What he also didn't say 
is why he continues to wait on releasing the Mueller report. It took 
him less than 48 hours to summarize over 300 pages but over 2 weeks, 
and counting, to release the report itself.
  Instead of giving straight answers, Mr. Barr seems to be nothing more 
than a spokesperson for the President's campaign. He seems more like 
the President's Press Secretary than the Attorney General. He is even 
using the President's own tactics: Admit nothing. Deny everything. Make 
counteraccusations.
  Many of us tried to give Mr. Barr a chance, but after this week's 
performance, it is clear as day he and the President are working off 
the same playbook and planning to withhold crucial facts from the 
American people.
  What is really important is this: When Attorney General Barr issues 
his report, his objectivity will be in total doubt. No one will 
believe, when he redacts large parts of the report, that it was done on 
the merits; people will believe he redacted parts of the report to help 
President Trump. How will the American people be able to trust Mr. 
Barr, and how will the American people be able to believe that his 
version of the report is the real version when he has been so, so 
partisan and was willing to peddle FOX News conspiracy theories before 
the Appropriations Committee yesterday?
  When Mr. Barr was first nominated as Attorney General, the question 
posed to him was, would he be part of the Trump legal team or an 
independent agent of the law? I think we have our answer, as we watch 
him echo President Trump's statements and enable President Trump's 
worst instincts. Whether it is defending the administration's dangerous 
healthcare lawsuit or perpetuating conspiracy theories, Mr. Barr is 
acting more like a member of the President's campaign than the 
independent Attorney General he is supposed to be.
  Mr. Barr is letting down thousands--tens of thousands--of hard-
working people at the Justice Department. They are doing their job. 
When someone is given real information that Russia interfered with our 
elections, of course they are supposed to look into it. That is part of 
their job. For Mr. Barr to label this as spying, echoing some of the 
worst conspiracy theorists in the country, he loses all credibility, 
and that credibility is vital because he will be issuing a report with 
redactions.
  When Mr. Barr issues his report, in terms of what should be redacted 
and what shouldn't, his objectivity will be in total doubt because of 
his performance yesterday.
  Again, how will the American people be able to trust that the 
Attorney General has given them the most information he can rather than 
the least and that he has given them a full view of what happened 
rather than protecting the President? People are just not going to 
believe it.
  The bottom line is that yesterday's performance calls into complete 
question the objectivity and even the judgment of the Attorney General. 
He does not seem to be an independent actor pursuing the rule of law. 
Rather, he seems to be somebody simply ready to help the President no 
matter what the price.


                                H.R. 268

  Mr. President, on another matter, disaster relief, it is an absolute 
travesty that this Chamber is recessing without a compromise on much 
needed funding for disaster relief.
  From the start, Democrats have supported an ``all of the above'' 
approach to helping every part of America that is struggling from 
natural disasters. We need to help everyone hurt last year and everyone 
hurt this year--everyone hurt in Puerto Rico, everyone hurt in the 
Midwest, everyone hurt in Florida, and everyone hurt in Texas, Alabama, 
Mississippi, and Georgia. In the American tradition, everyone comes 
together when we have disasters, and we help everyone.
  Our Republican friends seem to have a different view. They want 
disaster relief that explicitly denies Puerto Rico the help it needs, 
even though they are American citizens like everybody else. They heard 
President Trump's temper tantrum at their lunch a few Tuesdays back, 
and they have obeyed. This is un-American. We should not be picking and 
choosing who gets disaster relief.
  When Americans suffer, we all step in. We all help. President Trump 
does not believe that, but where are our Senators who are standing up 
for this principle? The compassion of the American people is much 
greater than President Trump's small-minded contempt for the people of 
Puerto Rico. The Senate, particularly Senators from the disaster States 
who need that money, ought to have the courage to resist it instead of 
making up stories and pointing fingers of blame.
  Republicans have refused to present a serious solution that can pass 
the House and the Senate. We all know that if Puerto Rico is not 
treated equally, it will not be seen on the floor of the House. We all 
know that the Governor of Puerto Rico has said that the solution 
Republicans are supporting is not adequate for Puerto Rico. We all know 
that.
  It is a tragedy that the Republican leadership in this Chamber has 
refused to help American citizens before going into recess. They own 
the mess they

[[Page S2406]]

are creating across America, and with each passing day, the American 
people see it.