Committee will Reconvene Hearing Thursday Morning

WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today released the following statement on the Democrat leadership’s abuse of a rarely used procedural tool, shuttering a hearing on attempts by foreign agents to influence American laws and elections.

“Over the last few weeks, my Democrat colleagues have delayed and blocked Judiciary Committee hearings, shuttered a national security briefing and now cut off a hearing about interference in our political system by agents working for foreign powers,” Grassley said.

“I don’t know if the minority is intentionally trying to block testimony that may be critical of a firm behind the unverified Trump dossier, but I’ll bet two bits that had Paul Manafort or Donald Trump, Jr. appeared at today’s hearing, it would not have been prematurely shut down. The Democrat leadership is playing politics, plain and simple. But our national security and our democratic systems are no game. So we will reconvene tomorrow to get more of the information we need.

On June 20 , Senate Democrats abridged a hearing on freedom of speech and blocked a subcommittee hearing on concurrent congressional and criminal investigation. Eight days later , Democrats blocked a briefing for members on crucial national security tools that will have to be renewed by the Senate before the end of the year.

The hearing, titled “Oversight of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections: Lessons Learned from Current and Prior Administrations,” will continue tomorrow, July 27, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building.

-30-