DPCC Chair Cicilline: Democrats Are Fighting to Get to the Truth
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Cicilline, Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on CNN Right Now with Brianna Keilar to discuss House Democrats' efforts to conduct oversight of the Trump Administration while fighting For the People to lower health care costs, increase pay and clean up corruption in Washington. Cicilline highlighted that no one is above the law – not even the President – and how Congress has a responsibility to get to the truth for the American people. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video
"Well, I think there's no question, Brianna, that the Committee is prepared to do everything that is necessary to ensure that we can discharge our responsibilities to do congressional oversight. It's not up to the President. I know he would prefer that we look at nothing and examine nothing, but we have a constitutional duty to do it, and it's really just very distressing to hear the President say publicly ‘I'm telling people not to cooperate'. That feels a lot like an ongoing effort to obstruct justice or prevent congressional oversight. We have many tools at our disposal, once a subpoena is issued a witness is compelled to comply and if a witness does not they can be held in contempt or they can then be fined or even imprisoned for failing to comply. Our ability to collect evidence to hear testimony under oath is essential to our oversight function and holding the administration accountable. No matter how much the President tries to stop it we will prevail and get the information we need find the truth."
"The American people have a right to know. This is fundamentally about whether or not someone is above the law, and we know in this country that no one is above the law. Congress has a responsibility to get to the truth, and in order to do that, to find the facts and follow where they lead us, we need to collect evidence and hear from witnesses and the President cannot stop us from doing that, and we'll have to fight for it, and the American people will watch that fight, but we're fighting so the American people can know the truth."