AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: GOP obstructionism continues on the Hill

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

GOP obstructionism continues on the Hill

by John Aravosis (DC) on 6/10/2008 05:00:00 PM

Today in the Senate, Democratic leader Harry Reid had the following conversation on the Senate floor with Republican Thad Cochran:

REID: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during session of the senate.

COCHRAN: Mr. President, on behalf of the republican leader, I object.

REID: Mr. President --

The Presiding Officer: Without objection? Objection is heard.

REID: I understand the objection of my good friend from Mississippi. He wasn't objecting on his own but for someone else. The hearing, Mr. President, that we were going for conduct was a hearing entitled "coercive interrogation techniques: do they work, are they reliable and what did the FBI. Know about them?"

Mr. President, this morning senator Feinstein, as chair of the subcommittee, began chairing a very important hearing on interrogation tactics in the Judiciary Committee. The hearing featured a report by the Department of Justice inspector general on tactics at Guantanamo that amounted to torture. The hearing was interrupted by three floor votes and the chair recessed the hearing until p.m. as you know, we have our weekly caucuses starting at 12:30. But now the minority is objecting to the committee meeting by invoking the two-hour rule. Two hours after we come into session there has to be consent to conduct hearings.

In other words, you have to do them in the first two hours we are in session. It's very rare there is an objection but there is today. I have no alternative but to recess the senate to allow the hearing to continue. The Republicans may not want these abuses to come to light but I think the American people have a right to know. It's part of a partner of obstructionism by my friends on the republican side.

I want the senate to debate a bill to reduce gas prices and now they don't want the judiciary committee to hold a hearing about coercive interrogation tactics. They can try to use senate rules to silence these debates. I'll use the rules at this time to allow the judiciary committee to continue the hearing. As soon as the hearing is over, we're going to be out here Mr. President to talk about gas prices.

And I would hope -- this is framed, Mr. President with the picture of there is a presidential election going on. We have one presidential candidate that wants to do something about these high gas prices, wants to do something about the bill to extend tax credits for renewable energy and we have another candidate who is opposed to this and we know who that candidate is and it is senator from the state of Arizona. And I would think that my friend, the senator from Arizona, who is a Republican nominee, would be concerned about this delaying tactic, not to allow the judiciary committee to hold a hearing on torture. That's what it amounts to. So, Mr. President, I ask that -- unanimous consent that the senate be in recess subject to the call of the chair.

Today in the Senate, Democratic leader Harry Reid had the following conversation on the Senate floor with Republican Thad Cochran:

REID: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during session of the senate.

COCHRAN: Mr. President, on behalf of the republican leader, I object.

REID: Mr. President --

The Presiding Officer: Without objection? Objection is heard.

REID: I understand the objection of my good friend from Mississippi. He wasn't objecting on his own but for someone else. The hearing, Mr. President, that we were going for conduct was a hearing entitled "coercive interrogation techniques: do they work, are they reliable and what did the FBI. Know about them?"

Mr. President, this morning senator Feinstein, as chair of the subcommittee, began chairing a very important hearing on interrogation tactics in the Judiciary Committee. The hearing featured a report by the Department of Justice inspector general on tactics at Guantanamo that amounted to torture. The hearing was interrupted by three floor votes and the chair recessed the hearing until p.m. as you know, we have our weekly caucuses starting at 12:30. But now the minority is objecting to the committee meeting by invoking the two-hour rule. Two hours after we come into session there has to be consent to conduct hearings.

In other words, you have to do them in the first two hours we are in session. It's very rare there is an objection but there is today. I have no alternative but to recess the senate to allow the hearing to continue. The Republicans may not want these abuses to come to light but I think the American people have a right to know. It's part of a partner of obstructionism by my friends on the republican side.

I want the senate to debate a bill to reduce gas prices and now they don't want the judiciary committee to hold a hearing about coercive interrogation tactics. They can try to use senate rules to silence these debates. I'll use the rules at this time to allow the judiciary committee to continue the hearing. As soon as the hearing is over, we're going to be out here Mr. President to talk about gas prices.

And I would hope -- this is framed, Mr. President with the picture of there is a presidential election going on. We have one presidential candidate that wants to do something about these high gas prices, wants to do something about the bill to extend tax credits for renewable energy and we have another candidate who is opposed to this and we know who that candidate is and it is senator from the state of Arizona. And I would think that my friend, the senator from Arizona, who is a Republican nominee, would be concerned about this delaying tactic, not to allow the judiciary committee to hold a hearing on torture. That's what it amounts to. So, Mr. President, I ask that -- unanimous consent that the senate be in recess subject to the call of the chair.