In spartanburg South Carolina. Im anyone, evening anchor and tonights conversation will be live streamed in broadcast on our next door Network Across the carolinas as well as our partner station w multix in columbia. Many of you turned in this evening to watch the candidates for u. S. Senate in their second debate read both campaigns agreed to the form of that debate this Week Campaign staff for democratic challenger Jamie Harrison at the incumbent senator Lindsey Graham be tested for covid. The senator was tested last friday. In a Statement Released yesterday afternoon Harrison Campaign wrote i cannot responsibly debate in person tomorrow night and allowed politics to put my family , on my campaign staff, senator grahams staff and members of the media at unnecessary risk. The Graham Campaign responded , Mister Harrison is demanding special treatments. If Mister Harrison is not able to interact with South Carolina and on the sameterms they live their lives he should not be there senato
Good morning. Thank my colleagues for being here promptly. Democratic colleagues informed us last night that they would not participate in the hearing. That was their choice. It will be my vote my joist about the nominee out of committee. We will not allow them to take over the committee. They made a choice not to participate, after allowing judge Coney Barrett four days, two days to be questioned i thought she did a good job of handling the questions asked. I thought she was aggressively challenged, but not i want toately, and complement my colleagues for not going down the Brett Kavanaugh road. And i want to complement the republican members of this committee for asking questions that mattered to you, showing a tremendous amount of discipline to make sure that on our side the hearing went well. And each of you, when this is over, i hope you feel like you have a sense of accomplishment. This is why we all run. It is moments like this that make everything that you go through matter. Th
[inaudible] the committee will come to order. The committee will come to order. Without objection the chair is authorized to recess the hearing at any time. Before we turn to the substance of todays hearing, let me address a House Keeping matter. First, let me remind members should during these proceedings , with the exception of when theyre speaking, take precautions in light of covid19 including by wearing a face cover such as a mask. Were also limiting staff attendance at the hearing. I would encourage and urge unless youre speaking to please be wearing your mask. Were also conducting this hearing in the Capital Visitors Center auditorium, which affords Additional Space for those present to remain physically distant from one another. Before i get into the other housekeeping matter, let me just express my best wishes to the president and first lady for a speedy recovery from covid19. I know were all quite shocked and distressed this morning to learn of their illness. And we hope for
Committee members will be asking him about a whistleblower complaint that top dhs officials interfered with Intelligence Reports to protect President Trumps image and immigration policy. The committee will come to order. Without objection the chair is authorized to recess the hearing at any time. Before we turn to the substance of todays hearing let me address a House Keeping matter. First let me remind members should during these proceedings with the exception of when theyre speaking take precautions in light of covid19 including by wearing a face cover such as a mask. Were also limiting staff attendance at the hearing. I would encourage and urge unless youre speaking to please be wearing your mask. Were also conducting this hearing in the Capital Visitors Center auditorium, which affords Additional Space for those present to remain fizz any distant from one another. Before i get into the other House Keeping matter let me just express my best wishes to the president and first lady for
Analysis and as we refer to as ona. Left the committee, no choice but to issue a subpoena on tuesday for his appearance at this hearing today. The department has persistently slow walked security clearance requests from counsel for their clients mr. Brian murphy, a lawful whistleblower and the former acting head of ina and the element within dhs in proceedings before this committee. The committee repeatedly offered to dhs that it would withdraw the subpoena for mr. Maurers appearance if the department authorized the attorney clearances in time for mr. Murphys often rescheduled deposition. Unfortunately dhs refused to do so. Therefore, were Going Forward today with his testimony. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. On august 3rd, amid public reporting of american citizens being scratched off the streets of portland by Law Enforcement officials from the department of Homeland Security, this committee launched an investigation into serious allegations that dhss intelligence a