From her perch on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., is increasingly taking aim at U.S. Attorney General William Barr.
Last week, as Democrats were trying to get Barr in front of the committee, Demings came out swinging at him.
“I have taken four oaths of office: two as a law enforcement officer and two as a member of Congress,” Demings said. “However, each oath, including the one taken by Attorney General Barr, stated, ‘I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.’ Our democracy will not survive without public servants who value justice, accountability, and the rule of law.
“Mr. Barr, the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, has disgraced his oath, choosing to protect the president while betraying his duty to the American people,” she added. “Mr. Barr’s four-page summary of the Mueller report was devised to deceive the American people. Mr. Barr’s press conference imitated the deceptive talking points of the president’s lawyers instead of the honesty and integrity expected of a public servant. Mr. Barr’s congressional testimony, we now know, included at least two statements which were purposefully misleading if not outright lies. It is impossible to defend the indefensible.
“The U.S. Attorney General must be the people’s lawyer. I gave Mr. Barr the benefit of the doubt and hoped that he would follow his oath of office. He has not done so. Mr. Barr should do the last honorable thing available to him and resign,” Demings added.
After Barr refused to testify before the committee, Demings doubled down on her call for him to resign.
“Mr. Barr’s failure to obey our subpoena is illegal and he should be held in contempt. I also support further subpoenas to compel his testimony and I continue to believe Mr. Barr should resign his office in disgrace. He has proven incapable of obeying the oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the United States,” she said.
While she is in her second term in Congress, Demings is increasingly taking on high profile assignments including serving as the vice chairwoman of the U.S. House Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee. Demings is also being included in her party’s leadership. Back in January U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), tapped Demings to serve alongside U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., to lead the DCCC’s Recruitment Committee as they look ahead to the 2020 elections.
The DCCC assignment is the latest effort from her party’s leadership to showcase the Orlando Democrat. With her background in law enforcement, including more than 25 years service with the Orlando Police Department (OPD), Demings has increasingly become a favorite of Democrats at the national level. From 2007 through 2011, when she retired, Demings served as chief of the OPD. Back in 2012, Demings offered U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., a surprisingly close race. After the latest round of congressional redistricting, the district became far more palatable for Democrats. Webster packed his bags to run for an open seat up north while, despite some respectable opposition in the primary, Demings ran over her rivals to win his old seat.
When she took office at the start of 2017, Demings had a ceremonial swearing-in in Orlando with some high profile Democrats in attendance, including U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who currently leads the House. Demings is married to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, making her part of one of the most high profile power couples in Florida politics.
In the meantime, representing a secure district for Democrats, Demings looks safe at home. The GOP didn’t even bother to run a candidate against her last year.
