Two dozen Republicans who stormed into a closed-door deposition of a Defense Department witness Wednesday participated in a "high school prank by a bunch of 50-year-old white men," Rep. Jackie Speier said Thursday.
And, the California Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe," "it failed."
The congressmen interrupted the interview as it was being held in what is called a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, a completely secure room where members can hear classified information.
Speier, a member of the House Intelligence Committee said it was "pretty stunning" to walk into the room after five hours and see the pizza boxes that were left behind.
"What that committee room normally looks like is a typical committee room in which both Republicans and Democrats are given the opportunity on an equal basis to ask questions, an hour on the Democratic side, an hour on the Republican side, and then 45 minutes on each side," said Speier. "It's mostly done by staff attorneys and then by members afterward, but it's a very fair process and one that the Republicans should be applauding as opposed to whining about."
Speier rejected claims that Republican members of Congress are being shut down inside the room and accused them of "whining. She said they stormed the SCIF "because the president was whining that they weren't fighting for him hard enough."
Speier also complained that lawmakers investigating the Trump administration have not been able to access needed information, as there has been a resistance to provide documents. She also called for federal employees who refuse to meet with Congress to be cited with inherent contempt, which would cause them to lose their salaries.
She also mentioned that the testimony of former National Security Advisor John Bolton could be "very compelling," even though the decision has not yet been made to subpoena him.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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