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[Page S2581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Attorney General Barr and the Mueller Report
Madam President, on a related matter, one of the clearest takeaways
from yesterday's hearing, in addition to the Attorney General's
astounding statement that the President could terminate any
investigation or procedure against him if he believed it were based on
false facts, was the discrepancy between the Attorney General's
opinions and the conclusions of the Mueller report.
My colleague Senator Harris masterfully also uncovered that the
Attorney General did not examine any of the underlying evidence in the
Mueller report before making a prosecutorial decision and, to his
knowledge, neither did the Deputy Attorney General. The arrogance of
these men is amazing. This is one of the most serious issues we face.
At least half of the country believes it is very serious--more than
half. Yet they don't even bother to look at the underlying evidence
before they issue a statement that indicates the President has been
exonerated--at least in the President's own mind.
But that is to say nothing of the fact that there are so many
unanswered questions about the reasoning behind some of Special Counsel
Mueller's decisions, regardless of what Barr thought or did or wrote.
So it is imperative that Mueller come to testify. The result is that
we have a gap. We have a gap of understanding of key details in the
Mueller probe--a gap that leaves a cloud hanging over this country,
over this President, over this Justice Department; a gap that could
easily be erased by having the special counsel come to the Senate and
testify.
So I was frankly shocked, appalled--I thought it wasn't true; it must
have been a misquote--when I read on Twitter that my friend the
chairman, Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said
that he would not ask Mueller to testify, that he would send Mueller a
letter asking him to respond if he disagreed with the Attorney
General's testimony, but not invite him to testify.
``It is over,'' he repeated to the committee and then to me on the
floor when I, really, confronted him, even though he is my friend,
because I was so amazed about this--when I confronted him here on the
floor of the Senate.
He modified his request after we talked to say that if Mueller said
that he was misquoted, he could come. That is not the way to do this.
Mueller should come--no ands, ifs, or buts. The American people
deserve it. Frankly, my friend Lindsey Graham is being totally derelict
in his responsibilities as chair of the Judiciary Committee not to
invite Mr. Mueller.
So I would ask Lindsey Graham to reconsider, to think about the
country, to think about his long history of trying to be fair and
often--not so much recently, but often--bipartisan. He is someone I
worked with, and he showed great courage on immigration. He must
reconsider. He cannot have the Judiciary Committee simply be a
political arm of the President, which is where it is devolving under
his chairmanship.
Congressional oversight requires that Mueller come. The Constitution,
if you read it, would indicate that it is perfectly within our ability
and obligation to bring Mueller here.
Please, Senator Graham, reconsider. Invite Mueller. His testimony is
desperately needed to clarify what he actually meant and said after Mr.
Barr's actions.
