Transcription
Move to strike. Last word. Gentleman's recognized. I have listened to my colleagues in this Epstein debate on the Republican side ask over and over, why did the Democrats say nothing during the Biden administration? I've heard TV anchors ask, in fact, I was asked this morning the same question.
Now, put aside the fact that in 2019, I called on Andrew Aosta to resign because of his connection to the Epstein files and I wanted to learn more about why Epstein was not prosecuted. Put aside what Mr. Raskin and Mr. Cummings did. Let's just take you at your word that Democrats said nothing. Is that a reason for you to do nothing? I I don't understand the logic here that because you think the Democrats did nothing on the Epstein files in the Biden administration that to own the libs, you now have license to leave sexual assault victims unprotected. It's just crazy that you hate the Democrats so much that you would let the most notorious child sex trafficker and the people connected to him not be held accountable because you want to own the libs.
Let's just take you at your word. Okay. The Democrats did nothing. So, you're going to do nothing is what you were telling me. The Democrats of course did not do nothing. But let me boil it down to a lesson that I have right in front of me every morning when a six-year-old wakes me up around 5:45 and wants to watch the same movie over and over and over that's frozen. And there's a lesson in this film uh where Elsa is told by one of the trolls in the movie that if you can't see the future, all you can do is the next right thing. And having seen this again a hundred times in the last couple years, my takeaway is if you don't know what's going to happen next and you can't change the past, all you can do is the next right thing.
So even if you are right that the Democrats did nothing in the past, wouldn't the next right thing be to sign the discharge petition? Or are you so obsessed with just scoring political points that you would punish sexual assault victims? Is that who you are? I don't think that's who you are. When I listen to some of the legislation you proposed on your side, I I do believe sincerely you care about victims. And if that's who you are and you care about victims, sign the damn discharge petition. Okay? You can own us. I don't care. You can own us a thousand times. If it gets us to 218 signatures, I will let you have whatever victory you think you're accomplishing. But it seems to me that you're more interested in telling me not to believe my own eyes, which is what the president is doing. The president is telling us not to believe our own eyes. And it's not just on the Epstein files and the birthday card. And by the way, guys, we can bring in a handwriting expert, but I have two eyes. And I know what that man's obnoxious signature looks like, and so do you.
But Donald Trump has told us that he would end all wars on day one, that prices would plummet and jobs would soar. And where are we? Ukraine has never been weaker. We've never seen more jobs lost in America since Donald Trump was last president. Even conservatives are complaining about how expensive grocery prices are. And even his own health, he's trying to trying to tell us not to believe his own our own eyes. Joe Biden looks like an Olympic athlete compared to a man who is hiding his illness. Donald Trump is a broken man who has broke his promises. And if we don't start checking him, we are going to be a broken country.
So my friends, if you sincerely believe that Democrats dropped the ball and did not do enough under the Biden administration, then join us now in doing the next right thing and sign the discharge petition. Otherwise, you're telling sexual assault victims this is just about scoring political points and they come last. I yield back. Will the gentleman yield back? I yield. Yes, I yield to the ranking member. Well, I just to add to your very eloquent statement there. Seems like these days every accusation is a confession. So, the accusation is the Democrats have somehow changed their position. We've been opposed to child sex trafficking all along. We spoke out against it. I've introduced evidence to that effect. It's our friends across the aisle who have changed their position. They wanted to see the release of the Epstein files. Now that Donald Trump changed his mind, they've changed their minds. Thank you for yielding.
I would just uh claim five minutes. I would just point to the subpoena that Chairman Comr sent on August 5th of this year. And I'm just going to read it. Frankly, I'd ask you I'll ask unanimous consent to put in the record here. In in schedule to subpoena in accordance with the attached schedule instructions, you the honorable Pamela J. Bondi in your capacity as attorney general of the United States are required to produce the following documents and communications that are in your possession, custody or control in unredacted form except for redactions to protect the personally identifiable information of any victims for any child sex abuse materials defined by the Department of Justice manual or any other redactions required by law. And then there are seven seven sections here. Number one, all documents and communications relating or referring to Mr. Jeffrey Epstein, Miss Glain Maxwell, and further relating to or referring to trafficking, exploitation of minors, sexual abuse, or related activity. Number two, all documents and communications contained within the case file regarding United States versus Jeffrey Epstein. Number three, all documents and communications contained within the case file regarding United States versus Glain Maxwell. Number four, all documents and communications contained within the file pertaining to the investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida that resulted in the 2007 nonprosecution agreement between the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Mr. Epstein. So, this would answer what Mr. Rascin I think has raised uh real questions about multiple times in today's hearing. Number five, all documents and communications relating or referring to United States versus Jeffrey Epstein, United States versus Galain Maxwell and the investigation of Mr. Epstein that resulted in the 2007 nonprosecution agreement between the US attorney for the southern district of Florida and Mr. Epstein. Uh again answering I think getting to the information that Mr. Raskin seeks. All documents number six all documents communications between the executive office of the president including executive office of president Joseph R. Biden Jr. and the department of justice relating to or referring to United States versus Jeffrey Epstein United States versus Galain Maxwell and the investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein that resulted in the 2007 nonprosecution agreement between the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Mr. Epstein. And number seven, all documents and communications relating to or referring to the death of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein. So, seven seven different bullet points. Every single one starts with the word all. I think the gentleman from New York earlier said that this wouldn't get the documents that started the Yes, it would. covers everything and the oversight committee has subpoenenaed all that information and it's coming in. I think there's 30,000 pages coming in but it's a rolling production. This is the typical the way it works. We've done a lot of investigations around here. It's always a rolling production. So I think we're going to get the material. That's oversight committee is doing it. It's unfortunate that Mr. Goldman made the comments he did about the very fine chairman of the oversight committee, but he is getting the information that the American people asked for and that many members had demanded for a long time, including members on the Democrat side. So, I'd ask unanimous can that be entered into the record. Who seeks recognition? I have an amendment at the