Posted on September 13, 2016 by Brandon Morse at Red State:
Your daily dose of feel good comes in the form of Representative Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The committee has been neck deep in the Hillary email scandal for some time now, and due to Hillary’s not so veiled uncooperativeness, and the FBI’s bizarre decisions not to pursue legal action against Clinton, things are getting a little heated. Heated enough to the point where Chaffetz is getting a little savage with the FBI during the recent committee hearing.
“You don’t get to decide what I get to see. I get to see it all,” said Chaffetz to Jason Herring, the FBI’s acting assistant director of legislative affairs. “I was elected by some 800,000 people to come to congress and see classified information. I was elected by my colleagues to be the chairman of this committee. That’s the way our constitution works.”
Though Chaffetz wore a smile as he said them, his words were no less forceful and blunt.
“Will the FBI provide to Congress the full file with no redactions of personal identifiable information?” he asked Herring.
“I cannot make that commitment sitting here today,” responded Herring.
“Then I’m going to issue a subpoena, and I’m going to do it right now.” said Chaffetz, the smile gone from his face.
~~~~~~~~~
Jason Chaffetz’ remarks make for a great moment of bravado, but as we’ve seen in the past, it’s mostly talk and nothing else. That feel good moment is short-lived as are most all of them coming from conservatives in our government.
Yes, he talked tough and he issued a subpoena right there on the spot, but much like the many cases we’ve seen before Congressional committees, nothing ever happens. When a subpoena is ignored, the punishment is being charged with contempt. For contempt charges to matter, it has to first be brought to the floor for a full vote. Like that’s going to happen…
Remember Lois Lerner and Eric Holder?? They were held in contempt and the media blasted those headlines out to the country like it was earth-shattering news. Meanwhile, the witnesses ignored the subpoenas and everyone went about their business.
While it’s a step in the right direction, it would have had a more profound effect if Chaffetz had followed the subpoena with remarks telling Herring that he has 24 hours to gather those documents and reappear before his committee. But that’s not how we do things – instead, we wait for those on the hot seat to volunteer the documents needed, which could take months and even years. While we wait for documents to be produced, and Congress’ demands are ignored, the key people involved could become president. What a country.
~Kathy
Categories: Political
Pesky Truth 
A dozen years ago or so there was a petitioning of the States to hold judges accountable and it got struck down one state after another. Without being able to hold elected officials accountable, let alone all the unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, and apply the levels of law THEY impose upon citizens to just sit there and and deal with unbearable conditions to comply to, then just go ahead sit there and watch the continuation of decline of one the greatest countries developed to withstand against tyrannical rule.
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We’re seeing what kind of government we get when there is zero accountability. Every department is full of corruption, they spend whatever they want and regulate us into oblivion. It’s become this monster machine that’s out of control and short of a revolution, I don’t see any way to turn it around. It’s doubtful that even that would work – there’s not enough people paying attention.
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You’re right on Kathy.
I wish someone could explain how it is such unnacountabilty ever began and why it is that it continues, along with how is it that Our USA ever became an experimental laboratory?
FREEDOM is NOT an experiment!
FREEDOM is an inherent right established in the DNA of free will to choose between right and wrong, good and evil, but Not to be forced to choose the lesser of two evils.
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I too am disgusted. There must be consequences when people ignore subpoenas and contempt findings. Now they just don’t result in any kind of punishment. This administration has established some dangerous precedents. Obama himself has ignored the courts and Congress and protects his henchmen who do the same. He’s shown that someone in power need not follow our laws, can ignore our Constitution, and he’s destroyed the concept of the so-called equal branches of government. And the most disturbing thing is that our Congress has just bent over and asked, “please sir, may I have another one.” We have no real leadership to prevent all of the unlawful and treasonous activities perpetrated by Obama and his lackeys – and he’s not finished yet.
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Yessir, O has set the example and every department picked up on it. Did it originate with him? No, it’s been going on for years, but his admin has taken it to new levels. Never before have we seen so many oversight hearings – one right after the other, while they all know they’re just going through the motions.
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I can relate to your disgust, Kathy. With each passing day we increasingly become a nation in which there are no consequences for bad behavior or for failure to do your duty. Without consequences there is zero hope of turning this ship around. I don’t fault Chavetz, though. If the people of this country sincerely want transparency and government that is not corrupt then it is ultimately up to them to elect a full slate of such people. Try as they might Chavetz and others can only do so much with Obama as POTUS, a thin majority in congress and an electorate that has other priorities.
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Good point, CW. Chaffetz is doing all he can within his limited power, and the witnesses know that’s all they can expect to happen. Without the power to punish, it’s all a waste of time and money.
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