[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1382]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                STATE DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL MEMO

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we have always known that the Republicans 
have an obsession with Secretary Clinton's emails, but their obsession 
is a trumped up, partisan political crusade.
  Today we received a new revelation about just how bankrupt the 
Republicans' campaign against Secretary Clinton truly is. The inspector 
general of the State Department issued something that is quite 
important. It is unclassified. He wrote a memo stating that emails 
received by former Secretary Colin Powell and aides to Secretary 
Condoleezza Rice may contain classified information.
  This is the same trumped up allegation for which Republicans are 
currently trying to railroad Secretary Clinton.
  As vice chairman Feinstein said last week: ``It has never made sense 
to me that Secretary Clinton can be held responsible for e-mail 
exchanges that originated with someone else.''
  Yet Republicans would have us believe that these emails posed a grave 
threat.
  Secretary Colin Powell said it best. Here is what he said upon 
reading such emails: ``A normal, air-breathing mammal would look at 
them and say, `What's the issue?'''
  Just like they turned Benghazi into a political issue, Republicans 
are looking for anything that can be twisted into a partisan political 
tool--for former Senator and former Secretary of State Hillary 
Clinton--and for obvious reasons.
  The pursuit of her email records has caused the Republicans to waste 
millions of dollars of taxpayers' money and, of course, abuse the 
congressional oversight process. They have held up scores of State 
Department nominees--from USAID workers in Africa and around the world 
to the State Department's Legal Adviser. Because of what is being done 
here, the State Department--they have numerous people, I say numerous 
people, who should be confirmed so the State Department can operate. 
But, no, they are being held up--even the Legal Adviser. The State 
Department does not have its own lawyer because it is being held up. 
All they say is opposition to emails. It is an effort to develop 
opposition research for the campaign trail. This is what some would say 
is a watershed moment.
  We can now hold Republicans' allegations up to the light and see them 
for the flimsy, transparent attempts to score political points that 
they always have been.
  If we were to believe Republicans, then we would have to criminally 
charge Secretary Rice, Secretary Powell, their senior staff, and 
everyone else who received these emails. We might have to indict the 
entire senior level of America's national security community.
  Of course General Powell should not be indicted. Of course Secretary 
Rice should not be indicted. But by Republicans' logic, they should be. 
This is absurd. It is absurd because the inspector general makes it 
very clear: These charges are a bunch of trumped up baloney. It is 
absurd because this campaign against Secretary Clinton has always been 
a ridiculously partisan, political waste of time and taxpayer dollars.
  Today we see this more clearly than ever before, but no one has seen 
it more clearly than Secretary Powell. This man has held numerous 
positions in our government--Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a 
four-star general. I repeat what he said today, and I quote again: ``A 
normal, air-breathing mammal would look at them and say, `What's the 
issue?''
  There is no issue.
  I yield the floor.
  Seeing no one on the floor, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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