Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Arctic Frost

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Arctic Frost

Durbin: "As the title of this hearing makes clear, the majority is wasting this Committee's time and resources on another baseless, partisan witch-hunt."

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing entitled "Arctic Frost: A Modern Watergate." Instead of allowing Special Prosecutor Jack Smith to testify, Senate Judiciary Republicans are proceeding with a wasteful series of eight subcommittee hearings to relitigate the 2020 presidential election, despite numerous other issues worth examining within the Committee's jurisdiction. Today's subcommittee hearing is the second hearing in the series.

In February, Durbin led all Senate Judiciary Democrats in again calling for Smith to testify publicly under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as he has offered to do, as well as request unredacted versions of the Special Counsel's report, including Volume II, which is still being blocked from public release by President Trump's Department of Justice.

Key Quotes:

"Last week, America lost a man who devoted his life in service to our nation. Robert Mueller earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart serving as a Marine and risking his life in Vietnam, and he led the FBI after 9/11, helping to secure our nation after the worst terrorist attack in American history… How did President Donald Trump respond to the news of Robert Mueller's passing? [He said] 'Good, I'm glad he's dead.' Those reprehensible words should be condemned by every member of the Committee on both sides of the aisle."

"Unfortunately, under Republican leadership, this Committee has been complicit in the attacks on Robert Mueller, spending years spreading debunked conspiracy theories about his investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. We're here today to attack another Special Counsel investigation led by another honorable public servant. As the title of this hearing makes clear, the majority is wasting this Committee's time and resources on another baseless, partisan witch-hunt."

"Let me draw attention to the issues the Committee should be addressing instead of this farce today. Over the past year, President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and Director of the FBI Patel have systematically dismantled the Federal Bureau of Investigation… These purges are making every American less safe. Most recently, Director Patel reportedly fired at least six agents and several other FBI personnel who had been assigned work related to President Trump's mishandling of classified documents."

"These terminations were seemingly to save face with President Trump in response to the negative press Director Patel received for his embarrassing appearance chugging beer at the Olympic Games. Several of the fired agents were reportedly part of a global counterintelligence squad [whose responsibilities include investigating espionage and cyber threats from Iran]. In other words, Director Patel's political retribution has weakened the FBI's ability to counter Iranian threats at the exact time that not only America but certainly the men and women in uniform needed them to keep themselves safe."

"Watergate is the story of a President who engaged in a vast illegal conspiracy to remain in power and used his control of the levers of government to obstruct investigations into his own misconduct. Back then, the Senate stood up for the Constitution and the rule of law, exposing [President] Nixon's corruption by investigating the serious allegations against him."

"Today, Senate Republicans waffle between indifference to outright celebration of President Trump's brazen misconduct, despite the real danger it poses. We cannot continue on this course. The American people face real challenges, from citizens being summarily executed for exercising their First Amendment rights to the skyrocketing price of the cost of living under this Administration."

"This hearing will not help a single person other than Donald Trump and the Republican majority should do better for their constituents… This hearing is an attempt to throttle a dead horse to a gallop."

Video of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin's opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

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