Feinstein basically says the excuse about the letter is nonsense. And if Rice is willing to go on cable news shows, why isn’t she willing to give Congress the courtesy?
Via Free Beacon:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) on Wednesday urged Barack Obama’s former national security adviser, Susan Rice, to reconsider her decision not to testify next week before a Senate subcommittee on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Feinstein appeared on MSNBC with host Chuck Todd to discuss the latest on the probe into Russia’s meddling in the election and Rice’s refusal to testify.
Rice’s lawyer, Kathryn Ruemmler, sent a letter Wednesday on behalf of her client to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism–Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.), respectively–explaining why Rice was declining an invitation to testify.
“Senator Whitehouse has informed us by letter that he did not agree to Chairman Graham’s invitation to Ambassador Rice, a significant departure from the bipartisan invitations extended to other witnesses. Under these circumstances, Ambassador Rice respectfully declines Senator Graham’s invitation to testify,” Ruemmler wrote.
Todd referenced the letter and asked Feinstein whether she believes Rice should testify and whether she would sign a bipartisan letter inviting Rice to testify.
“Well, I think she ought to consider it,” Feinstein said. “She has gone public. I saw her on Fareed [Zakaria]’s show Sunday. I saw her today and it seems to me that–I guess I’ve never heard that it has to be a bipartisan letter.”