In Wake of Impeachment, Trump Allies Boycott House Intelligence Tech Hearing
Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee refused to attend a subcommittee hearing on technology and national security on Wednesday, boycotting the panel’s first public hearing since the acrimonious impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes said he had received a letter on Wednesday morning saying the Republicans would not attend because they disagreed with the committee’s priorities and calling the hearing “a publicity event.”
Asked for comment, an aide to Chris Stewart, ranking Republican on the Strategic Technology and Advanced Research Subcommittee, forwarded a copy of a letter sent to Representative Adam Schiff, the panel’s Democratic chairman.
The letter, signed by Stewart and Representative Devin Nunes, the full committee’s top Republican, accused the committee of not paying enough attention to oversight issues, such as looking into a recent report on domestic surveillance by the FBI. Some Republicans have accused government investigators of improperly collecting data on some associates of Trump’s.
“Until the Committee prioritizes oversight activities related to urgent and critical concerns, Republican Members cannot support distractions from our core responsibilities,” said the letter.
The subcommittee hearing, with testimony from experts on intelligence and technology, addressed the relationship between the U.S. intelligence community and the private sector as new technologies make their way into the marketplace.
Himes apologized to the witnesses and continued with the hearing. “We’re going to make the best of it… and do what we were hired to do by the American people,” he said.
Himes said it was a shame Republicans had broken from the committee’s tradition of bipartisanship. “That Rubicon has been crossed,” he said.
Voting nearly along party lines, the Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump of abusing his power and obstructing Congress’ investigation on Feb. 5.
The Republican president’s Senate trial came after months of investigation in the Democratic-led House led by the intelligence committee. The panel’s probe, both public hearings and closed-door testimony, was marked by angry partisan disputes between Republican members – who included some of Trump’s closest allies in Congress – and Democrats.
Schiff was the lead impeachment manager during Trump’s Senate trial. He is a frequent target of Trump’s insults, both verbally and on Twitter.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Rosalba O’Brien)
Headline news confuction “ALL COMMUNISTS, FACISTS, TOTALITARIANS and DEMONRATS (all one in the same) ARE SYCOPHANTS”. Your party is the party of LIES, LIES, LIES and when all else fails, more LIES.
Well, the previous posts were quite entertaining as well as revealing. Thanks to Screwtape and WHC. Generally Confused has little substance to his words. Just petty name calling and repeating what he hears on CNN. I miss the down vote
We all know that YOU don’t get informed. It sure shows.
OK. So TDS takes precedent over protecting the rights and privacy of American citizens, abuses aside.
It’s clear what the losing Dim side has a priorities.
“Representative Devin Nunes, the full committee’s top Republican”
Now THERE is a real piece of work. More like a top lackey would be more like it.
I double down on the committee’s lack of intelligence, and the Generally Confused is included.
Do you have any news we haven’t heard? No news here. Move on.
General, would you be so kind as to substantiate why Representative Nunez is a “piece of work “?
Don’t be afraid little General, point out on the little dolly where Representative Nunez touched you inappropriately.
I realize you like to jack yourself off in between your posts over the $0.50 you get for each trolling post, but please cum clean with us. We care! …about your mental instability. In fact, if you ever get the urge to slit your miserable wrists, call me. I’ll tell you why the majority who’ve tried failed, like with socialism.
“General, would you be so kind as to substantiate why Representative Nunez is a “piece of work “?” An Unhung Chad
What’s in it for me? If I actually answer you, will you believe me or would I be just wasting my time?
Can you actually answer or will you continue to make excuses?
The best way to make an argument it to present it and have it tested for its merit.
But you don’t have an argument. Just excuses.
“Can you actually answer or will you continue to make excuses?” I Ching
You still don’t get it. Anyone who paid attention to even just his news headlines knows what Nunes is. A corrupt sycophant and a bootlicking lacky of Dear Leader, who has a real problem with people making fun of his cow. One doesn’t need to know more than that, but that doesn’t mean that that is all.
A deflecting non-answer is better – I guess – than confirming the lack of any basic intelligence to answer a simple question. That by the confused Commie phony who cannot-even-qualify-to-be-an E-1 recruit due to cowardice.
“What’s in it for me”? Sounds like a typical Marxist Kenyan-loving freeloader looking for more taxpayer-paid handouts rather than getting a J O B like most Americans.
WHC,
The Genital cannot provide a real answer. IF it were Bernie spying on American citizens he’d be all for it.
He fails to understand that HE will be one of the first spied on. If he is a HE. Just like it cannot prove it is not a privileged, spoiled, white boy it will never have the honesty to do so.
Remember when it refused to provide info about military service because of “operational security”? As if someone would bother to figure out which of the branches it belonged to. We can rule out Space Force.
Are you sure the confused non-recruit wasn’t just ignoring questions about its 4-F rating – – – turned down by the Brownie Scouts?
It’s clear that as long as Shifty Schitt Head Schiff leads this committee, it has nothing to do with “intelligence” and everything to do with covering up Democrat criminal activity!