Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan condemned Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee for what became a pattern of asking questions of Attorney General William Barr only to interrupt and not allow him to answer.
Jordan, the top Republican on the panel, noted hours into the hearing that Democratic members had repeatedly cut off Barr while shouting that they were “reclaiming my time.” He asked why Democrats even invited Barr to testify if they were not going to allow him to answer their queries fully.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a hearing where the witness wasn’t allowed to respond to points made, questions asked, and attacks — attacks made. Not just in this hearing, not just in this committee, but in every committee I’ve been on,” Jordan said. “Particularly when you think about the fact that we have the attorney general of the United States here.”
He added, “I want the attorney general to be able to have enough time to respond to accusations and questions asked him, and you guys not cut him off.”
New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Democrat who is chairman of the committee, told Jordan that what he wanted was “irrelevant.”
[Read more: ‘I’m telling my story’: Barr shoots back at Democrats interrupting his testimony]
A second clash between Nadler and Jordan happened later in the hearing.
“For months, you have tried to get the attorney general to come. He’s here. Why don’t you let him speak? Why don’t you let him answer the questions? Time after time. If you want the attorney general to come, at least let him answer the questions and the accusations made against him,” Jordan said.
Nadler said he would not allow Jordan to continue to speak, citing his “rudeness.”
“Rudeness is on the other side,” Jordan said. “Time after time, you refused to let the attorney general of the United States answer the questions posed to him.”
Throughout the oversight hearing, which stretched from the late morning to mid-afternoon, Barr was repeatedly asked questions only to get cut off by Democrats who said they wanted to reclaim their allotted time (five minutes per member). The attorney general sometimes requested time to answer questions, but he was often denied by Nadler, prompting House Republicans to cede some of their time to Barr.
Clearly frustrated himself after being interrupted more than a dozen times with the “reclaiming my time” line, Barr vented about the disruptive tactic leader in the hearing.
After being cut off and reminded of the limited time by yet another Democratic member of the committee, California Rep. Lou Correa, Barr responded, “This is a hearing. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard.”
“This is a hearing, I thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard?”
— Attorney General Bill Barr pic.twitter.com/cqk5RoB0dm
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 28, 2020
Barr later demanded to be allowed time to answer a question while being questioned by Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse, a Democrat.
“You said under penalty of perjury. I’m going to answer the damn question,” Barr said after being interrupted a few words into his answer.
In another tense moment, more than three and a half hours into the hearing, Nadler flatly denied one of Barr’s requests for a 5-minute break.
“I waited an hour for you this morning,” Barr said, referring to the hourlong delay of the hearing after Nadler got into a car accident.
After the chairman stressed they were “almost finished,” Barr quipped with a laugh, “You’re a real class act, Mr. Chairman.” Jordan assailed Nadler for his “rudeness,” and the Democrat finally relented to allowing a 5-minute recess.
Most, if not all, the Democrats interrupted Barr during their lines of questioning. At one point, Rep. Greg Stanton provided a clue as to when Barr might be able to give a complete answer.
“You’ll have a chance to comment after your testimony is done today,” Stanton said.
