Sen. Whitehouse: ‘I Don’t Recognize the Legitimacy of This Hearing,’ So I Don’t Have to Follow the Rules

‘I don’t accept that I’m under any obligation’

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EXCERPT:

WHITEHOUSE: "Mr. Chairman, you recognize me for 30 seconds and I will take 30 seconds. Left silence imply consent, speaking for myself, I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not accept the process of this committee confidential routine that we went through. I do not accept its legitimacy. I do not accept its validity. Because I don’t accept its legitimacy or validity, I don’t accept that I’m under any obligation. I have not made a big fight about this. I've just gone ahead with my questioning. But again, left silence imply consent. I think that rule is ineffectual as if the chair had unilaterally repealed the law of gravity. It simply isn’t so. I haven’t agreed to this rule, I haven’t voted on this rule, this rule does not exist in our committee or Senate rules.And I will leave it at that. Just me speaking I am not willing to concede that there is any legitimacy to this entire committee confidential process in this hearing."

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