DPCC Co-Chair Lieu: Bill Barr Misled the American People
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Ted Lieu, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on PBS NewsHour with Judy Woodruff to discuss Attorney General Bill Barr's refusal to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee. Lieu highlighted that Barr misled the American people with his mischaracterization of the Mueller Report and is acting as Trump's defense lawyer, not the United States Attorney General. In addition to focusing on our Congressional oversight responsibilities, House Democrats continue to work For the People to clean up corruption, lower health care costs, and rebuild America's infrastructure. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video
"I'm not surprised Bill Barr doesn't want to come tomorrow to the House Judiciary Committee hearing after his disastrous performance today in the Senate. He admitted openly to Kamala Harris under oath that he had not read the actual evidence in the Mueller report. I'm thinking he needs more time to read the actual evidence before making stuff up.
"We're just trying to get the facts. We just want the unredacted Mueller report. During Watergate, the special prosecutor issued a similar report. The White House tried to suppress it using the same grand jury secrecy rule that Bill Barr is citing and the court of appeals held for Congress, so we just want to get the information and we just want Bill Barr to come testify before us and get questions asked by staff counsel the same way other witnesses have been questioned by staff counsel."
"Attorney General Bill Barr has purgered himself in Congress twice. He had the Mueller letter and then he testified in Congress both the House and Senate when asked direct questions about whether Robert Mueller agreed with Bill Barr's conclusions and whether Bill Barr had any knowledge about why staff members of the Special Counsel's office would be upset with his characterization. In both cases, he basically answered no and he was lying in those cases. He also misled the American people both in the press conference before we ever read the Mueller report and with his four-page inaccurate summary. So if Bill Barr wants to mislead the American people, he can do that as a member of the Trump campaign, but he can't do that as Attorney General. That is a position that requires independence, integrity and an oath to the constitution. if he doesn't understand his job, he needs to resign."