DPCC Chair Cicilline: Democrats are Fulfilling their Promises For the People
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Cicilline, Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on OutFront with Erin Burnett on CNN to discuss the decision to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt. Chair Cicilline emphasized that House Democrats are conducting responsible oversight of the Trump Administration while fulfilling their promises to the American people to lower health care costs, raise family incomes, rebuild America's infrastructure and clean up corruption. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video
"First of all, it's important to note the Judiciary Committee has a responsibility to do oversight and that requires us to collect evidence and to hear from witnesses who testify under oath. It simply cannot be the case the executive branch is going to decide what witnesses will come and what documents will be produced because if we allow the executive branch to do that, it will essentially permit them to extinguish congressional oversight in its entirety. This is an important principal of our separation of powers and responsibilities. We've issued a subpoena to the Attorney General, a lawful subpoena, and he defied it and the next step we took today we judged him in contempt, we did a contempt report that will go to the floor and will also at the time it goes to the floor seek authorization to initiate a legal proceeding for us to enforce the subpoena so this is a process we have to follow to litigate and compel Mr. Barr to comply, and the President relishes this fight because the truth is, the Democrats ran on an agenda For The People of this country to lower health care costs, raise family incomes, rebuild the infrastructure of our country and take on the serious corruption of this country and we are delivering on those results. The President has no record to speak of and so he wants a fight about this but we have to do both things. We need to deliver on the promises we made and at the same time conduct responsible oversight so that's why we had to move forward today."
"This is a very very grave moment for our country. This is only the second time in history the Attorney General of the United States has been adjudicated in contempt of the Congress of the United States. This is deadly serious, we have to move forward in a sober and serious way. Look, we have got to get access to all of the information to make informed judgements in the case. The President and the minions cannot stone wall the American people and cannot prevent Congress from doing work and finding the truth, whatever it is."