Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said he would withhold the funds requested by the Director of National Intelligence if he refuses to tell Congress the concerns of the whistleblower.
Host Jake Tapper asked, “You said this week you’ll get the contents of the whistleblower complaint, quote, come hell or high water. And that you’re going to use whatever tools you can, including pursuing legal action, including potentially reexamining the funding when the director of national intelligence comes before Congress for reauthorization. Wouldn’t withholding funds from the intelligence community put the nation’s safety at risk, though?”
Schiff said, “Well, it depends on what funds we withhold. In this case, you have the office of the director of national intelligence that is withholding this complaint in violation of the clear letter of law. That law said that he shall transmit the complaint. He’s the first to refuse to do so. And there are funding requests that that office makes that don’t go directly to national security that we can withhold.”
He continued, “Look, it is a blunt remedy and one that I’m very reluctant to use, but at the same time the inspector general said this is not only serious and credible, but it is urgent. We cannot afford to play rope-a-dope in the court for weeks and months on end. We need an answer. If there is a fire burning, it needs to be put out. And that is why we’re going to have to look at every remedy and if these two issues are, in fact, one issue and it relates to deplorable conduct, a violation of the president’s oath of office and a cover-up in terms of this whistleblower complaint, then we have to consider impeachment as well a remedy here.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.