Branch officials from engaging in political activity. Mr. Cummings the committee will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the committee at any time. The full Committee Hearing is convening regarding violations of the hatch act under the Trump Administration. I now recognize myself for five minutes to give my Opening Statement. Today are holding a hearing on a very troubling on a very troubling report issued by the office of special counsel on june 13, of this year. This report finds that Kellyanne Conway, counselor to president donald trump, violated the hatch act dozens of times. And it recommes that the president fire her immediately for her violations. There are rarely issues that come befe our c committee that are so clear cut, but this is one of them. This is about right and wrong. This is about the core principle of our precious democracy, that nobody, not one person, nobody in this country is above the law. Contrary to claims from misco
We will come to order. We want to thank you and the hardworking career experts at the office of special counsel whove spent many months doing a thorough and careful investigation. I understand your recommendation to President Trump that Kellyanne Conway be removed from office was not made with careful consideration. I want to play a clip from a phone interview President Trump did last friday on fox friends responding to ofcs report. Play the clip, please. Youre not going to fire her . No, im not going to fire her. Shes a tremendous spokesperson. Shes been loyal, shes just a great person. I would certainly not think, based on what and saw yesterday, how could you do that . They have tried to take away her speeeech and i think youre entitled to free speech in this country. They just say if youre working for the white house you shouldnt be involved in criticizing other candidates or other politician, and she has. Will you encourage her not to do that Going Forward . Well, but it doesnt wo
Call for official at the county did say i voted for so and so. Is that who you got . They should be able to say yes i voted for the candidate, you got it right. Its time that we voted. We have the representative on the line so we are going to cut to the representative and then we will come back to the audience question and answer. Its great to be with you today and thank you for the invitation to join you remotely and especially want to thank david wilson of at the Atlantic Council for their efforts to make this possible. I would rather be there in person but its somehow fitting as this discussion is about the promise of digital happening over skype. So in the communications in a credible way. Before i give my remarks i have a great interest in increasing Voter Participation at a long history in the legislature i took a big interest in the Election Form and making voting easier. We had people waiting in line for hours and hours to vote and we had have the oldest Voting Machines in the
Getting endorsements from labor unions like the carpenters, the laborers, the operating engineers and others because they often dont get along. And yet they agree that i am somebody that can help them create jobs and do the things that are important to them. We absolutely have to have congressmen and women that have a demonstrated ability to work with other people. Moderator thank you. Kendis Aimee Belgard. Belgard thank you. Congress is an absolute mess, and that is exactly why am running, to use the skills i have learned, whether as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society to my skills in negotiating as an attorney, even the skills that i have gained as a Burlington County freeholder where i worked across the aisle with our republican colleagues. I am not there to argue for the sake of arguing. I am perfectly willing to agree with my republican colleagues and they ever get idea. I used to say when i was running for free all there, one of my favorite quotes is that the benjamin fr
A senator madam president . The presiding officer the senator from new jersey. Mr. Booker i would like to request that the quorum call be ended. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Booker thank you very much. Madam president , i rise today to urge support for a successful Veterans Health care program that will be extended if we pass this bipartisan package of Veterans Affairs reforms. My colleague across the aisle, senator heller, and i have joined together to introduce legislation to extend the assisted Living Program for veterans with traumatic brain injury, or altbi, and give it the kind of support veterans with these severe brain injuries deserve. Im grateful for the leadership of senator heller, his partnership on this very important, critical issue. Im proud to work with him and i am hopeful that all of our colleagues will join together to pass the bipartisan package of v. A. Reforms which now includes our legislation. I want to thank senators sanders, Ranking Member bur