Good morning. At 830AM ET, Secy of State Mike Pompeo comes before the House Foreign Affairs Cmte to face Qs on the Trump admin's Iran posture for the first time since the targeted killing of Qasem Soleimani.
Pompeo's opening remarks here:
documentcloud.org/documents/6789…
@CourthouseNews
Pompeo's opening remarks here:
documentcloud.org/documents/6789…
@CourthouseNews
@CourthouseNews Livestream link available here: foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearings?ID=BD…
If you can't watch the live-stream today, I'll have the story coming up for @CourthouseNews
If you can't watch the live-stream today, I'll have the story coming up for @CourthouseNews
@CourthouseNews Pompeo starts out today's hearing by expressing frustration that he has to field questions about coronavirus when @davidcicilline asks what his role, as Secy is, in global response to virus.
"We agreed I’d come here to talk about Iran & the 1st question today is not about Iran."
"We agreed I’d come here to talk about Iran & the 1st question today is not about Iran."
@CourthouseNews @davidcicilline .@davidcicilline tries again, says: We’ve learned there’s been an outbreak of 245 cases, have you been in touch w/ anyone inside Iranian govt to coordinate?
@CourthouseNews @davidcicilline Pompeo: "We’ve made offers to the Islamic Republic to help and... we’ve made clear that humanitarian assistance is something we fully support for every nation."
@CourthouseNews @davidcicilline In another question a moment later from Rep. Bera: Do you believe Iran is up to the fight of #coronavirus?
Pompeo: "Their healthcare infrastructure is not robust and info about what is going on inside their country has been limited to U.S. officials."
Pompeo: "Their healthcare infrastructure is not robust and info about what is going on inside their country has been limited to U.S. officials."
@CourthouseNews @davidcicilline Pompeo has put off this meeting before the House Foreign Affairs Cmte hearing for two months. He appears for just 2 hours today to discuss the Soleimani strike, the 30 US troops who had traumatic brain injuries as a result of that strike etc.
Dems have pointed out how when Pompeo sat on this committee and Hillary Clinton faced Qs on Benghazi, she came 1) voluntarily and 2) for 11 hours and he "thundered" at her for hours of Qs.
Rep Meeks, angrily, notes cmte had to "move heaven and earth" just to get Pompeo for 2 hrs
Rep Meeks, angrily, notes cmte had to "move heaven and earth" just to get Pompeo for 2 hrs
Rep. Sherman asks Pompeo repeatedly if he will apologize for the way in which the injuries of US troops in Soleimani strike were trivialized by the Trump admin.
Pompeo says he has never trivialized troop injuries. There's intense crosstalk.
Pompeo very sharply says, "If you'd let me finish speaking, I would give you my answer."
Pompeo very sharply says, "If you'd let me finish speaking, I would give you my answer."
Rep. Keating, D-Mass., is asking Pompeo to defend the administration's unofficial policy and approach toward most every crisis, Iran, coronavirus, Syria as "we'll see what happens"
"The policy has to change because 'we'll see what happens' is not happening." Keating says
"The policy has to change because 'we'll see what happens' is not happening." Keating says
Rep Deutch: when POTUS lied about size of inaugural crowd, it was embarrassing. It was disgraceful when he said traumatic brain injuries are "just headaches" and now with coronavirus, Trump says vaccine almost ready - it isn't. He says warm weather will take care of this, it wont
.@RepTedDeutch on #coronavirus: This doesn't just impact the president's supporters at his rallies. It doesn't just impact Democrats voting in the presidential primaries. This impacts everyone in America and it is more important than politics. The administration must do better.
@RepTedDeutch Stay tuned for the full story on Pompeo's appearance before House Foreign Affairs.
cc: @CourthouseNews
cc: @CourthouseNews
@RepTedDeutch @CourthouseNews A Dem rep literally had to ask the Secretary of State to entertain a serious Q on coronavirus by prefacing the Q w/ "Let's stipulate that every decision made by this president is beyond reproach" because Pompeo hedges whenever even the faintest hint of criticism is presented.
@RepTedDeutch @CourthouseNews Pompeo, who has refused to stay beyond 2 hours today to talk to Congress, can't stay because as he has an appearance at #CPAC2020 at 12:15PM.
@RepTedDeutch @CourthouseNews Rep. Mast gives Hillary Clinton a sarcastic round of applause for testifying for 11 hours about Benghazi as he comes to Pompeo's defense today.
This entire hearing has been utterly and completely bitter.
This entire hearing has been utterly and completely bitter.
@RepTedDeutch @CourthouseNews Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, takes significant issue with how "rude" he thinks everyone has been to Pompeo today. "The Ringling Bros. have nothing on this committee" he says
@RepTedDeutch @CourthouseNews Hearing adjourned. Full story to come.
