Rep. Hoyer On Blaming CIA: "I Don't Draw That Conclusion"
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) says he has no "basis" to blame the C.I.A. for lying to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives about the type of interrogations they were using at the time, including waterboarding. "I don't draw that conclusion," Rep. Hoyer said on the House floor.
Full transcript below:
REP. CANTOR: I share with the gentleman the notion we need to follow the law. But if there is somehow a belief, and I'd ask the gentleman whether he shares this belief, that somehow the CIA or others have intentionally misled this body, because that seems to be some concern that has been raised today? And I yield.
HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER REP. STENY HOYER: I have no idea of that, don't have a belief of that nature because I have no basis on which to base such a belief. And I certainly hope that's not the case. I don't draw that conclusion.
What I say to the gentleman once again is that to a degree that is a distraction.
It is not irrelevant, but it is a distraction from the central point. And I will tell my friend that I think there is far too much discussion about what was said as opposed to what was done. The truth commission I think has a responsibility or whatever we call a commission that would look at this issue, not so much for what was done but to ensure that what we do going forward is legal, consistent with our values, consistent with our morals, and consistent as the gentleman points out with protecting our nation and our people. In my view, we have a responsibility to do all of those. And in my view, we can do all of those. They are not inconsistent with one another. And that is what I think we ought to be looking at as we look at what happened so that what happens in the future, because certainly this nation is going to be under threat now and in the future. And I think it's very important. I frankly think that upholding our values is consistent with also protecting our security.
