Sen. Kamala Harris was asked to be more respectful by the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence committee on Wednesday as she pressed top intelligence chiefs testifying before the panel.
The rookie California senator was questioning Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, asking him if he would send a letter to Special Counsel Robert Mueller giving him unlimited authority in his probe into possible ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia, reported The Associated Press.
The exchange was tense, with Harris interrupting Rosenstein as he started to say there wasn’t enough time to explain the answer. When she asked for a yes or no answer, he demurred, and she said, “either you are willing to do that or not.”
Republican Sen. John McCain first interjected, out of turn, with a plea to the committee chairman, Sen. Richard Burr: “Mr. Chairman, they should be allowed to answer the question.”
As the exchange between Harris and Rosenstein continued, Burr interjected and asked Harris to suspend.
“The chair is going to exercise the right to allow the witnesses to answer the question, and the committee is on notice to provide the witnesses the courtesy – which has not been extended all the way across – extend the courtesy for questions to get answered.”
Rosenstein then went on to answer the question, saying he believes Mueller has adequate authority.
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