“This is a hearing. I
thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard.”
These words were spoken by Attorney General Barr several hours into his “testimony” at today’s House Judiciary Oversight Committee hearing where he was an invited and voluntary witness. Nearly every Democrat, after making a statement or accusing AG Barr of a litany of bad acts, “reclaimed their time” and refused to allow him to answer or even comment. Rather, they used their full time for their own speeches.
Such hearings are usually at least described as an opportunity for the committee members to gain information from their witness. Hearings these days are often contentious, but the witness is usually allowed to answer questions and accusations. Congress people have a limited time (usually 5 minutes) to question the witness and the witness is allowed to answer. If a question is posed at the end of the allotted time, the Chair allows the witness to answer.
Not today. Chairman Nadler even initially denied the witness’s request for a 5 minute break. I felt like I was watching not the United States Government in action, but a hearing in the Star Chamber. And it made me feel sickened and nauseous to see this behavior in the Congress of the United States of America.
One of my first published law review articles dealt with the First Amendment and specifically the free and open exchange of speech and press. As part of the history leading up to the issues addressed, I researched the British Star Chamber, including looking at antique books containing English texts from the 13th century.
Beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215, there was an increasingly intensified struggle in England for recognition by the crown of the fundamental freedoms of speech and press. In 1275 a statute was enacted in England that provided for the imprisonment of anyone disseminating false “tales” resulting in discord between the king and the people. The statute was rewritten several times through the 16th century with re-enactments broadening the offense. The Court of Star Chamber was created to administer the statute.
Star Chamber was a royal court and as such was not hampered by things such as rules of evidence or procedural safeguards. While originally designed to enforce law, it became synonymous with social and political oppression through the arbitrary use and abuse of the power it wielded. Amongst other things, the Star Chamber could inflict any punishment short of death. It summoned juries before it when they rendered verdicts disagreeable to the government, and fined and imprisoned them. It spread terrorism among those who were called to do constitutional acts. The Star Chamber’s tyranny was ultimately abolished in 1641.
Honestly, as I watched the Democrats’ verbal tirades against Attorney General Barr, as I watched them refuse to let him speak, as I watched them use their time designed for questioning a witness to instead berate the entire Trump administration, often using a multitude of false statements, I couldn’t help but see a Star Chamber performing before my very eyes in 2020 America.
I really think every American should watch this performance. Not because it is pleasant, but because you will see how the Democrats actually behave, despite their words to the contrary. You will see them make or assert incorrect facts, use them to accuse the Attorney General of something, then refuse to let the AG speak. You will see Chairman Nadler not allow the AG to finish an answer, a courtesy that most committee chairs afford to witnesses. You will see the chairman refuse to take points of order about this. You will see on the few occasions when the AG is allowed to answer and says something like “I will follow the law” that the Democrats assert that is not an “appropriate” answer and hence accuse him of failing to answer.
Yes, this is America, but in this Democrat majority hearing it is apparently wrong for the Attorney General of the United States to say that he will follow the law. Similarly, he is attacked for following the principles of federalism that govern our country and which place him in charge of enforcing federal law but leave Governors to address laws and issues of their individual states.
Attorney General Barr was not really summoned to provide information. The Democrats did not want to hear from him. They summoned him because they do not like his policies – policies that are perfectly legitimate. They summoned him because they do not like the President for whom he serves as AG. They summoned him so they could have someone to throw their hateful campaign rhetoric at.
Like the Star Chamber summoning juries whose verdicts they found disagreeable, AG Barr was summoned because his actions are to the Democrats disagreeable. Actions like protecting federal property, enforcing federal law, calling violent riots out for what they are – not the peaceful protests that the Democrats would have us see.
The Star Chamber fined and imprisoned those who disagreed with them. I am sure that the Democrats would do that to Barr and many other Republicans if they could (and, indeed we have far too many instances of them using false information to go after and even imprison political rivals). Today they did what they could in an effort to silence any dissent from their views and their agenda – they spent nearly 5 hours verbally attacking a good public servant.
Honestly, I have watched many Congressional hearings over the years beginning with Watergate. They are often contentious. But NEVER have I seen anything as appalling as this. But this is what the Democrats have become. They are not interested in hearing any view, any fact, any law, any statement whatsoever that contradicts their narrative and their agenda. This is not an American approach to governing; it is that of an authoritarian dictatorship.
The behavior of the Democrats should sicken every American. I hope that many will watch this spectacle in its entirety. I hope that before the November election that everyone gives serious thought to what giving the Democrats any more power would mean for this country.
Here is the link to video of today’s hearing. LINK
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