[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 64 (Thursday, April 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RELATING TO THE CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE REPORT 117-284 AND AN 
                        ACCOMPANYING RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  April 14, 2022, on page E388, in the first column, the following 
appeared: RECOMMENDING THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FIND 
PETER K. NAVARRO AND DANIEL SCAVINO, JR., IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS 
-------------- SPEECH OF HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: RELATING TO THE 
CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE REPORT 117-284 AND AN ACCOMPANYING 
RESOLUTION -------------- SPEECH OF HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 6, 2022

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule to 
consider the Resolution Recommending That the House of Representatives 
Find Peter K. Navarro and Daniel Scavino, Jr., In Contempt Of Congress 
For Refusal To Comply With Subpoenas Duly Issued By The Select 
Committee To Investigate The January 6th Attack On The United States 
Capitol.
  Mr. Speaker, the events that took place on January 6, 2021, 
constituted an insurrection. A mob of deluded and misguided 
individuals, inspired by the former President, stormed the Capitol 
attempting to interrupt the certification of a legitimate election.
  Five people died that day and around 140 were injured. The damage to 
our democracy and republic was just as stark, as the marauders tried to 
halt our long-standing tradition of peaceful transfers of power.
  Our history of peaceful transfers of power serve as a model to the 
world of what a representative democracy should look like. But all that 
hard work done by generations of Congresspeople and staff alike was 
vulnerable that afternoon.
  That stain on our national identity and international image was by 
publicly known indications coordinated by the narcissistic 
authoritarian who was allowed to occupy the Oval Office, with Peter 
Navarro and Daniel Scavino, Jr., among the key lieutenants trying to 
implement that effort.
  Both Navarro and Scavino played key roles in the former President's 
attempt to override the election, with Navarro even publishing a book 
about his efforts.
  The plan, as Navarro described it, was to have members of Congress 
debate the electoral results from six contested swing states for four 
hours each, after which Congress would declare the results to be 
disputed, leading to the House selecting the president based on each 
congressional delegation getting one vote.
  Since Republicans controlled more delegations than Democrats, Navarro 
assumed this would probably lead to Trump's re-election.
  In a January 2022 MSNBC interview, Navarro said the former President 
was in favor of his plan and that they had ``more than 100'' members of 
Congress on board.
  If that is not a damning admission of guilt, Mr. Speaker, I don't 
know what is.
  It is no surprise Navarro was subpoenaed, and even less a surprise 
that he didn't show up. He suggested that his absence was rooted in 
executive privilege, but even that is a false premise,
  Navarro has blatantly ignored the Supreme Court's ruling in United 
States v. Nixon (1974) in which the Court held that presidential 
communications of the type in question are not within the scope of 
executive privilege. Additionally, President Biden has confirmed that 
Navarro's executive privilege does not apply in this instance, but 
Navarro still won't show up on his own accord.
  We, therefore, must hold Navarro accountable for his role on January 
6th and fully prosecute him.
  As for Mr. Scavino, the January 6th Committee found he had worked 
with Mr. Trump to spread false information via social media regarding 
election fraud and had recruited a crowd to Washington on Jan. 6.
  The committee said it had ``reason to believe'' Mr. Scavino, whose 
subpoena was served at Mar-a-Lago, the former president's property in 
Palm Beach, Fla., was with Trump on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 in 2021 when 
plans were discussed to ``challenge, disrupt, or impede the official 
congressional proceedings.'' He also was with Trump while people 
trapped inside the Capitol were urgently calling on the president to 
halt the violence.
  The committee said it ``has reason to believe that Mr. Scavino may 
have had advance warning about the potential for violence on Jan. 6,'' 
because he was known to monitor pro-Trump websites where plans to 
commit violence were discussed.
  The committee has sought Mr. Scavino's testimony since September, 
when it issued him a subpoena. The panel said it delayed Mr. Scavino's 
deposition six times to try to accommodate him.
  Mr. Scavino sued Verizon in January--at first, anonymously--seeking 
to stop the company from turning over his phone records to the 
committee.
  Mr. Scavino's actions are incredibly disturbing, and considering the 
committee's findings, he too must be held accountable and fully 
prosecuted.
  It is for that reason, Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this 
resolution and urge my colleagues' support as well. This resolution 
reaffirms our commitment to accountability no matter the title, so I am 
proud to lend it my support.