Collins statement on special counsel's report hearing

"The special counsel was appointed to investigate Russia. He has done that, and it is time to listen to him without pretending that crimes committed by foreign governments will somehow implicate the president just because he had the audacity to win an election against the Democrats’ candidate."

WASHINGTON — Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, made the following opening statement during today's hearing on the special counsel's report. Below are the remarks as prepared. Ranking Member Collins: Mr. Chairman, what happened to Russia? On May 29, Robert Mueller said the “central allegation” of the indictments in his report were the “multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election.” Those were his words. The central message of the Mueller report is the threat Russia poses to our elections. So, why aren’t we talking about Russia? Within an hour of Robert Mueller’s press conference, and really since the Democrats took the House majority, their obsession has been impeachment. Not Russia. Not elections. Impeachment. Not impeachment having to do with anything involving Russia, the 2016 election, or collusion. Impeachment of the president for allegedly obstructing an investigation into something he didn’t do. So, I ask, again, Mr. Chairman: What happened to Russia? Actions speak louder than words, and the actions of this committee suggest the Democrats no longer consider Russia a threat to our elections. For years, we have been urging Democrats to take seriously the Russian threat. The Democrats seemed to listen to us for a little while when they thought talking tough on Russia might lead to the removal of a sitting president, but I guess they are back to President Obama’s old refrain, when he said, “The 1980’s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back.” The special counsel was appointed to investigate Russia. He has done that, and it is time to listen to him without pretending that crimes committed by foreign governments will somehow implicate the president just because he had the audacity to win an election against the Democrats’ candidate. After investigating Russian interference in our elections, Robert Mueller’s take-home message was that Putin’s thugs have an alarming potential to cause harm through coordinated cyber attacks, but the chairman wants to talk about the president’s behavior in how he handled the special counsel. The chairman wants to focus on the fact that a president who endures baseless accusations of treachery for two years might not welcome that investigation — an investigation he nevertheless allowed to continue and that ended up vindicating him, much to Democrats’ chagrin. The chairman wants to talk about anything that might sway opinion against the president before the 2020 election. That’s why these proceedings are moving so slowly: Robert Mueller closed up shop a little too early in the election cycle. The chairman has slowed the Judiciary Committee’s agenda to a crawl, even if it means allowing Russian meddling to go unchecked leading up to the 2020 elections. The chairman is slow-walking this process. He’s refusing to review new information offered by the Justice Department. He’s hoping his base doesn’t notice he’s been dangling impeachment in front of them for months, all the while failing to discover any evidence of conspiracy. As I said in my letter to the chairman last week, Republicans are prepared to hold hearings about Robert Mueller’s central message. We welcome the Democrats back to reality. Now that Robert Mueller has written in black and white what we have said for two years — Donald Trump had nothing to do with colluding with Russians — we are ready to work on real legislative responses to a hostile foreign power. Democrats, though, aren’t interested in combating Russian cyber aggression at all, unless they can connect it to the American president. That’s really why we’re here today, to repeat the fairy tale that the president is a criminal — albeit one who has been indicted for no crime. In Watergate, there was a crime. With President Clinton, there was a crime. In fact, Democrats apparently believe the best person to speak about a person’s guilt regarding obstruction of justice is someone convicted of obstruction of justice who is now a TV commentator. If the chairman believes the enemy of his enemy is his friend, I suggest new friends. The other witnesses Democrats have brought before us today have found new careers as crusaders for the “Resistance.” They make money every time they appear on MSNBC or CNN. Why would they want this spectacle to end? Are these objective lawyers or pundits? More importantly, why does this committee continue to blur the line between these two categories? Mr. Chairman, you can talk about the Trump campaign’s willingness to accept help from the Russians, but the American people aren’t buying it. Mr. Chairman, you can talk about obstruction of justice, but the bottom line is those claims are all castles in the air. Robert Mueller handed down no indictment and indicated no criminality. Mr. Chairman, you can talk about how Robert Mueller left it to Congress to take action because his hands were tied by the OLC opinion, but the Department of Justice does not “leave to Congress” to pick up investigations where they leave off. The underlying fact remains: Democrats are abandoning their duty to confront foreign interference in our elections in favor of drawing out their slanderous campaign against the president. I remind the chairman: Robert Mueller ended his remarks stressing that multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election deserves the attention of every American — especially the elected officials who have the power to stop it. That includes every man and woman who loves this country, regardless of party, and it certainly includes the chairman and Democrat Members of the House Judiciary Committee.