Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah) slammed Rep. Elijah Cummings (D., Md.) and others who have said the IRS targeting investigation should have been over a long time ago. He also criticized the administration for the amount of hearings, and continual delays throughout the House Oversight investigation.
REP. CHAFFETZ: And really, I think when you have such senior powerful people in Washington, D.C. trying to discredit you and your person, your service, it's just wrong. And I'm proud of the fact that we are pursuing this.
You know, if we did what the White House wanted us to do, if we did what the ranking member suggested we do, this thing would be over. Nothing here -- don't do it. As far as I'm concerned, it's over. When you have the spokesperson for the president of the United States make a definitive statement that it was two rogue agents and start poking at these people, who have no power to do anything about it, that is wrong.
How dare anybody suggest that we're at the end of this? This is the beginning of this. We have to make an example of it. We need to get to the bottom of it. And quite frankly, I'm tired of this administration having to keep having these hearings. We've done it on Fast and Furious. We're doing it on Benghazi. We're doing it on the IRS. We're doing it -- why? Each time there's a pattern -- nothing here. Oh, it was just a couple of people. Just move on. That's not true.
When the ranking member went on national television and said that this case should be closed, that's wrong. And I have the greatest respect for --
REP. CUMMINGS: Would the gentleman yield?
REP. CHAFFETZ: Yes.
REP. CUMMINGS: Let me be clear, because there's some old talking points going on here.
REP. CHAFFETZ: No. No.
REP. CUMMINGS: Then at least --
REP. CHAFFETZ: Reclaiming my time --
REP. CUMMINGS: I want to answer your allegation.
REP. CHAFFETZ: And I want to reclaim my time.
REP. ISSA: Gentlemen, it's the gentleman's time.
REP. CHAFFETZ: To suggest that they're just talking points --
REP. CUMMINGS: Thirty seconds, once he finishes.
REP. CHAFFETZ: These are not just talking points.
REP. CUMMINGS: Come on, Issa.
REP. CHAFFETZ: I yield the gentleman time.
REP. CUMMINGS: Thank -- let me be very clear. I hope the gentleman will join me when I say that I want every single syllable of every single transcript that we can get redacted -- redactions -- appropriate redactions -- (inaudible). I've been asking for that and I want that.
What I said was when it came to the issue of saying that the president and the White House was responsible for this, I said that the evidence to that point and continues to be not there. As far as the investigation is concerned, I want us to get to the bottom of that and I really mean that. It is very, very, very important. So I just wanted to make that clear.