Outrage after GOP cuts off microphones at Patriot Act hearing

Raw Story | June 11 2005

A furor erupted after Republican House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner shut off the microphones during a hearing on the Patriot Act Friday, accusing Democrats of raising issues unrelated to the Act such as treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, RAW STORY has learned.

The Democrats' leader in the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), called the move a "shameful attempt today to silence Democrats at hearing this morning on the impact of the Patriot Act," and demanded the Republican leadership force Sensenbrenner to apologize.

Democrats have slammed Sensenbrenner before, and had success. Earlier this year, the chairman's staff rewrote Democratic amendments on an interstate abortion bill. Sensenbrenner was forced to retreat, returning the language to its neutral wording.

House Judiciary ranking Democrat John Conyers (D-MI) had no comment on the move.

The hearings were held under a rarely-invoked Congressional rule which allows the minority party to call for an additional day of hearings and to choose witnesses if they feel hearings held by the majority party were unsatisfactory.

AP reported that Sensenbrenner walked off with the gavel, leaving Democrats shouting into turned-off microphones.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) raised his voice as his microphone was switched off, AP said.

"We are not besmirching the honor of the United States, we are trying to uphold it," he remarked.