DOD
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This public obstruction spotlights how Senate rules, written and unwritten, offer opportunities for individual senators to impede the legislative process until their demands are met.
![Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, speaking before a mic at a congressional hearing.](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/gettyimages-1235555137-594x594-1.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1)
Senator Gary Peters, chair of the Senate's homeland security committee, demanded answers from four agency heads over the missing Jan. 6 texts on Wednesday.
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Secretary of Defense Mark Esper's new book recounts the episode.