[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 102 (Monday, June 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2042-S2043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Congressional Oversight

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, last week, I came here to speak to my 
colleagues about the Biden administration and the FBI playing games 
with the American people by hiding the FBI-generated 1023 document from 
Congress and the American people. Director Wray was going to be held in 
contempt for refusing to produce the 1023 that I told Chairman Comer 
about, and I think I had that first conversation with Chairman Comer 
about 3 weeks ago. Then, instead of contempt, the FBI committed to 
showing the 1023 and related documents to the whole Congress.
  By the way, I thank Chairman Comer for his cooperation with me and 
for how he has pursued this issue, because we know a heck of a lot more 
now than if he had not been involved in this whole effort.
  So the FBI showed--after the FBI committed to showing this document--
but didn't provide possession of that 1023 to the House Oversight 
Committee last week.
  By the way, 1023 is unclassified, so why shouldn't the entire country 
know about what is in this 1023? As the public knows, that 1023 
involves an alleged bribery scheme between then-Vice President Biden, 
Hunter Biden, and a foreign national--the same allegations Chairman 
Comer and I made public on May 3 of this year.
  On the very same day that the FBI provided a redacted version of the 
1023 to the House Oversight Committee, the Justice Department then 
announced that former President Trump had been indicted and charged 
with 37 crimes relating to his alleged mishandling of classified 
records.
  Attorney General Garland signed off on prosecuting Trump for conduct 
similar to what Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton engaged in. Two standards 
of justice in this country will turn our constitutional Republic upside 
down. Thanks to the political infection within the Biden Justice 
Department and the FBI, we are well along the road for that to happen.
  This Senator will do all that he can to fight that political 
infection in the Department of Justice and the FBI. You fight it, then, 
by bringing transparency to what this government does. The public's 
business ought to be public. Transparency brings accountability.
  With respect to the 1023 shown to the House Oversight Committee, from 
what I have been told by folks who have reviewed it, it is filled with 
redactions. The document that Comer and I read had maybe two or three 
half-inch redactions, not whole sentences redacted, as I am told the 
document in the SCIF has. So Director Wray placed redactions on a 
document that is already unclassified--as I have said before, 
unclassified. More than that, the FBI made Congress review a redacted, 
unclassified document in a classified facility. That goes to show you 
the disrespect the FBI has for Congress.
  During a previous time on the Senate floor, I think I told my fellow 
Senators what was so unusual about an unclassified document being given 
to the public when--I think it was on May 18 of this year--there was 
leaked to the New York Times a classified document and even the name of 
a confidential human source. So we are kind of in a strange situation 
here when a classified document can be leaked to the New York Times, 
but an unclassified document cannot be made public to 300 million 
Americans if they are interested in reading it.
  Accordingly, Congress still lacks a full and complete picture with 
respect to what that document really says. That is why it is important 
that the document be made public, without unnecessary redactions, for 
the American people to see. Can you believe redacting an unclassified 
document?
  Now let me assist for the purposes of there being more transparency 
on this subject.
  The 1023 produced to that House committee redacted the reference that 
the foreign national who allegedly bribed Joe and Hunter Biden 
allegedly has audio recordings of his conversation with them--17 such 
recordings. According to the 1023, the foreign national possesses 15 
audio recordings of phone calls between him and Hunter Biden. According 
to the 1023, the foreign national possesses two audio recordings of 
phone calls between him and then-Vice President Joe Biden. These 
recordings were allegedly kept as a sort of insurance policy for the 
foreign national in case he got into a tight spot. The 1023 also 
indicates that then-Vice President Joe Biden may have been involved in 
Burisma's employing Hunter Biden.
  So, as I have repeatedly asked since going public with the existence 
of the 1023, what, if anything, has the Justice Department and FBI done 
to investigate? The Justice Department and FBI must show their work. 
They no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt.
  It is clear that the Justice Department and FBI will use every 
resource to investigate Candidate Trump, President Trump, and former 
President Trump. Based on the facts known to the Congress and the 
public, it is clear that the Justice Department and the FBI haven't 
nearly had the same laser focus on the Biden family. Special Counsel 
Jack Smith has used a recording against former President Trump. Well, 
what is U.S. Attorney Weiss doing with respect to these alleged Joe and 
Hunter Biden recordings that are apparently relevant to a high-stakes 
bribery scheme?
  Getting a full and complete 1023 is critical for the American people 
to know and understand the true nature of the document and to hold the 
Justice Department and the FBI accountable. It is also important for 
asserting constitutional congressional oversight powers against an out-
of-control executive branch that is obviously drunk with political 
infection.

[[Page S2043]]

  Remember, Congress has received 1023s in the past, and they have been 
made public. So asking for this 1023 to be turned over to the American 
people to read is not an unusual thing that goes on with 1023s.
  Congress owes it to the American people and the brave and heroic 
whistleblowers to continue to fight for transparency on this matter and 
make this document public without unnecessary redactions.
  I want everybody to remember that I have read the unredacted version 
except for a couple or three half-inch redactions, I would say.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.