Rep. Elijiah Cummings (D-MD), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, on Monday evening tore into Republicans for the way they questioned IRS Commissioner John Koskinen during a hearing and apologized for their behavior.
“I thank you from the depths of my heart,” Cummings told Koskinen toward the end of the hearing. “I cannot begin to tell you how pained I feel listening to all of this.
“Some of the statements that have been made here today make it look like you’re just coming up here trying to fool people when under Republican and Democrat administrations you have been highly regarded,” Cummings continued.
The Ranking Member then criticized Republicans for badgering Koskinen even though the IRS watchdog found that there was no White House involvement in the auditing of 501(c)(4) groups.
“But we just push the facts over there,” he lamented about the way Koskinen was treated, “and let’s see what we can do to him.”
“I appreciate you coming into this institution, giving it the best you’ve got, and then having to come in here and go through this hell!” Cummings concluded.
Cummings and another Democratic congressman, Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada, also reportedly got into a tiff with committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA).
Horsford compared the way Issa ran the hearing to a March IRS hearing at which Issa cut off Cummings’ mic, according to Roll Call. Issa kept trying to cut Horsford off while he was speaking.
Watch a clip of Cummings via C-Span:
[H/t Mediaite]
Cummings seems to be a decent man.
And this is precisely why it was the right thing to do to put Democrats on the Benghazi select committee to not only protect witnesses but counteract the lies. Cummings has been great on the Oversight committee and will be excellent on the select committee.
Mr. Cummings is one of the most decent members of either Chamber. He is not afraid of the thug who he has to share the podium with.
Elijah Cummings is a straight shooter. Its good to see him there to bring some sanity to this “show hearing”.
Cummings is a member of Phi Beta Kappa