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Senator Rand Paul said on MSNBC this afternoon a lot of the calls for investigations into Russian election interference seem overtly political in nature.

He told Chris Jansingguest-hosting MTP Dailythat he wants to know exactly what laws have been broken, and then if they have, this should go to the FBI for an investigation.

He said that AG Jeff Sessions hasnt been the only person this week misremembering meetings and that he gets the sense of a political sort of witch hunt from people still very unhappy with the election.

Jansing also asked Paul about his recent remarks regarding the lack of usefulness in Republicans investigating Republicans. Paul said those remarks have been taken out of context.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

[image via screengrab]

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Rand Paul: A Lot of Russia Outcry Feels Like Witch Hunt by People 'Unhappy with the Election' - Mediaite

Aides in the room told the senator -- before dozens of reporters in a crowded hallway -- that there was no bill to see. In fact, it wasn't the room where GOP members of the Energy and Commerce Committee were told to meet with staff to review the current draft of their bill at all. But that did little to dissuade Paul, openly critical to the House Republican leadership's preferred path on the process, from making his underlying point.

"This should be an open and transparent process," Paul said. "This is being presented as if it were a national secret, as if this was a plot to invade another country, as if this were national security. That's wrong."

Paul ventured to the House Thursday afternoon after reports surfaced that House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee were being granted an opportunity to review the current draft of the Obamacare repeal legislation and ask questions behind closed doors.

Opposed to the House legislation's principles, Paul said he wanted to see the bill himself even though he didn't serve on the committee.

"I'm not allowed to read the working product so I can comment on it?" he said.

Outside the small House office, the chaotic scene continued with a handful of Democrats demanding they, too, see the legislation, which aides continued to say was not even in the room. Two Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, asked aides if the bill was ready, only to be rebuffed.

"I want to see the bill. I want to read the bill," New York Democrat Paul Tonko said, noting that as far as he knew, Republicans were still planning to move forward with a markup on the legislation next week.

At one point, the GOP staff allowed Hoyer, Rep. Joe Kennedy and a dozen or so reporters into the room to inspect it themselves. It was, in fact, bill-less.

Hoyer proceeded to hold an impromptu news conference near a bust of President Abraham Lincoln a few feet away from the misidentified room. He then held an imaginary conversation with the 16th president about what Hoyer said was the poor state of the Republican Party.

Rep. Greg Walden, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, downplayed perceptions of secrecy in a statement Thursday.

"Reports that the Energy and Commerce Committee is doing anything other than the regular process of keeping its members up to speed on latest developments in its jurisdictions are false. Simply put, Energy and Commerce majority members and staff are continuing to discuss and refine draft legislative language on issues under our committee's jurisdiction."

Leadership has taken a new level of caution with Obamacare repeal and replace reconciliation drafts after a leaked version of the bill in progress was circulated to news outlets last week.

House aides told CNN that the review process was simply part of regular procedure of giving their members an opportunity to review the current draft and ask committee staff questions. The committee -- along with a second panel responsible for the repeal legislation -- is tentatively shooting to consider their respective pieces of legislation as soon as next week.

The leaked draft -- which aides say was outdated -- drew condemnations from conservatives who pledged to oppose any final bill and set off a new round of internal divisions that threatened to endanger the repeal process before it even gets off the ground.

Continued here:
In chaotic scene, Rand Paul demands to see the House GOP's Obamacare repeal bill - CNN

Sen. Rand PaulRand PaulRyan slams Paul for 'publicity stunt' search for ObamaCare bill Dem senator: 'No surprise' GOP hiding ObamaCare repeal bill GOP lawmakers lead way in holding town halls MORE (R-Ky.) on Thursday urged lawmakers to move past controversy surrounding Attorney General Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsSessions talks voting rights, police misconduct with NAACP Grassley: Sessions isn't coming back to testify on Russia talks Senate Dems request DOJ watchdog probe Sessions recusal MORE's contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., saying it distracted from the GOP's policy priorities.

"I think we need to get beyond this and really start getting to some of the things that need to be fixed in the country, Paul said during an interview on Fox News's "Your World with Neil Cavuto."

"The biggest debate in the Capitol and in the country right now is what to do with healthcare, and so I think we need to home in on that and I think that hopefully the press conference by the attorney general will help us get on to business," he added.

Paul's remarks came after Sessions held a press conference to announce that he would recuse himselffrom any federal investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Paul similarlydefendedthe Trump administration last month, pushing back on calls for a congressional investigation following the ouster of Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, when it was revealed he misled Vice President Pence about his own conversations with the Russian ambassador.

"I just dont think its useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party, Paul said at the time.

Sessions faced intense pressure to recuse himself after The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the former Trump surrogate twice spoke with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign.

The former Alabama senator had said during his confirmation hearings that he hadn't been in contact with Russian officials. Sessions later said he never met with any Russian official during his confirmation hearing to become attorney general.

"If were going to have everybody go that makes a misstatement on whether they met an ambassador or not, were going to have some people going," Paul said Thursday.

Paul appeared to wave off the attorney generals meeting with Kislyak during the Republican National Convention last summer, pointing out that Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskillClaire McCaskillPoll: More than half of voters in key 2018 states concerned by Trump's nominees Rand Paul on Sessions controversy: Time to move on Senate confirms Perry for Energy secretary MORE (Mo.) had also previouslymet with the Russian ambassador.

I mean we had one senator already on the other side of the aisle said she never met with a Russian ambassador until someone looked at her Twitter and found out sure she met with a Russian ambassador, she just forgot, Paul said.

So, I mean I think we ought to take a step back here and be a little bit more rational about whether or not its appropriate or inappropriate for senators to meet with a U.S. ambassador.

A spokesperson for McCaskill, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which Sessions also sat on while in the Senate, said Thursday that in 2013 the McCaskill "did attend a group meeting about adoptions with other Senators, and had a brief proactive call with the ambassador amid calls to several other parties to the Iran nuclear deal."

"Attorney General Sessions, on the other hand, misled the Senate under oath," the spokesperson said.

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Rand Paul on Sessions controversy: Time to move on - The Hill (blog)

One of the most closely guarded secrets on Capitol Hill has been the House GOP's proposed legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known asObamacare.

On Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wanted to have a look.

Paul, a critic of the House efforts,got word that draft legislation was available for viewing by House Republicans in a secure, undisclosed location in the Capitol.

So he headed over Thursday, copy machine in tow, for a look-see. He was denied entry.

"We dont know if its 1,000 pages, 1,500pages, but we know were not given access to read it, and I think thats a problem," Paul told reporters, standing outside a closed door on the first floor of theCapitol.

"Im not waiting until after it passes to find out whats in Obamacarethe new replacement bill."

Paul, the brash libertarian-leaning Republicanwho first swept into Congress on the2010anti-Obamacare wave, reminded reporters that one of his own early bills was the "Read the Bill Act."

At the time, Republicans had scolded Democrats for suggesting that once Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, Americans would come to understand its benefits.

Now, its GOP leaders who have tried to avoid public exposure for their proposal, even though various committees could begin debating the legislation as early as next week.

Rather than allow public access, the House Energy & Commerce Committee took the unusual step of allowing its GOP members to view the bill Thursday in a secure room, leaving their smartphones outside, aides said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan gave assurances Thursday that leaders would reveal the bill publicly "soon."

Predictably, the effort to keep the text a secret backfired. OncePaul got shut out, others leapedinto the hunt for the bill.

Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Energy & Commercepanel, led a "goose chase" around the Capitol complex Thursday afternoon in search of the bill, a spokesman said.

Pallone and Rep. Jan Schakowski (D-Ill.) tried their luck at the secure location where they believed the bill to beto no avail.

Then they ventured a few doors down to Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's office, only to be turned away.

From there, they snooped around the office of Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee. Next, they went to the committee itself.

Nothing.

After about 45 minutes, they called it quits, for now.

"He's never encountered a bill in a secure room that only one side of the aisle could see," a Pallone spokesman said.

The theatrics have a serious side: Congress is deeply split over replacing the Affordable Care Act.

House Republicans face deep resistance from within their ranks, mostly from conservatives who, like Paul, say that the proposed bill is just "Obamacare lite."

At the same time, some Senate Republicans say the proposal goes too far.

Democrats, almost unanimously, oppose the GOP plans.

One key part of the House proposal, to replace the current subsidies that help people buy insurance witha new refundable tax credit, has drawn special fire from conservatives. They see it as another federal entitlement program.

"That sounds like Obamacare under another name. ItsDemocrat ideas in Republican clothing," Paul said.

Other Republicans worry that residents in their states will lose healthcare coveragebecause the GOP plan would make steep cuts to Medicaid.

"Everybody's saying the train's left the station and it's coming," Paul said. "Well, why dont we get to read it then?"

Originally posted here:
Find the bill? Sen. Rand Paul, House Democrats scour the Capitol for GOP's secret Obamacare replacement - Los Angeles Times

Sen. Rand PaulRand PaulPelosi hoping GOPs ObamaCare repeal bill will be revealed like a genie Rand Paul creates storm over access to ObamaCare draft bill The Hill's 12:30 Report MORE (R-Ky.) on Thursday blasted House Republicans for keeping their ObamaCare repeal and replace legislation under wraps.

I have been told that the House Obamacare bill is under lock & key, in a secure location, & not available for me or the public to view, Paul tweeted.

This is unacceptable. This is the biggest issue before Congress and the American people right now.

I have been told that the House Obamacare bill is under lock & key, in a secure location, & not available for me or the public to view.

GOP leaders say the bill will be released once it is final.

In several tweets, Paul accused House leadership of not wanting to admit to creating a watered down version of ObamaCare, and demanded that they release text of the bill.

@RandPaul What is the House leadership trying to hide? My guess is, they are trying to hide their "Obamacare Lite" approach.

@RandPaul Renaming and keeping parts of Obamacare, new entitlements and extending medicaid expansion are not the #FullRepeal we promised

@RandPaul I demand the House release the text of the bill. Every elected official & every American deserve to know what they're trying to do

Paul later said he's been told the House Republicans' draft of the repeal bill is "take it or leave it."

"I think that's why it's top secret," he said. "Why don't they want us to see it? The only copy we've seen is from the media does that sound to you backwards?"

"We saw a leaked copy that the media was given that we werent given," he continued. "Now were told that its being classified, that the hearing is like a security clearance hearing, you have to have a clearance and permission."

Paul said the bill will be made available starting today to members of theHouse Energy and Commerce Committee.

"Im assuming anybody else will be turned away," he said.

Pauls criticism follows a closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans Wednesday to discuss a strategy for repealing the healthcare law.

The Kentucky senator urged House lawmakers to release text of the ObamaCare draft "today."

@RandPaul And I call on them to make this process transparent and to let the sunshine in. Today.

Reporters later tweeted photos of the senator attempting to access the room where the bill is being kept, and being denied entry.

Rand Paul speaks to press outside "secret room" with Obamacare bill pic.twitter.com/XQv8W8EBaO

Sen. Rand Paul demands a copy of the bill. This staffer says she can't give him one. pic.twitter.com/gPo5rMsUkS

Sen Paul trying to enter room with ACA bill. Being denied entry pic.twitter.com/Vwg6vtZelc

This story was updated at 12:15 p.m.

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Rand Paul blasts GOP for keeping ObamaCare bill in 'secure location' - The Hill