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House Intel Cmte. Votes To Release Democratic Response To Russia Memo

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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) – The House Intelligence Committee met behind closed doors Monday afternoon for a vote on whether to release a Democratic memo that answers the one Republicans' released last week.

President Trump will soon weigh whether the public should see another classified congressional memo.

"I think it is going to be very hard for the White House like it was very hard for the Republicans on our committee to block the release of this," said Congressman Adam Schiff. "I am more concerned that they make political redactions, not redactions to protect sources and methods"

The House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously to release a democratic rebuttal to the GOP memo that accuses the Department of Justice and FBI of abusing surveillance powers in the Russia investigation.

Schiff authored the democratic memo.

Trump tweeted about the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, calling "little Adam Schiff" "one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington."

Congressman Schiff is trying to persuade the committee to release a democratic rebuttal to the GOP memo that was released last week.

It accuses the Department of Justice and FBI of abusing surveillance powers by using an unverified dossier paid for by Democrats to obtain a warrant to spy on Trump campaign associate Carter Page.

Congressman Devin Nunes, who authored the memo, spoke with Fox News on Monday.

"We had to use this process in order to make it public because DOJ and FBI were refusing to investigate themselves," Nunes said.

President Trump, who cleared the way for the release of the classified GOP memo, said it vindicates him in the Russia probe.

Other republicans are not drawing the same conclusion.

"I actually don't think it has any impact on the Russia probe," said Rep. Trey Gowdy. "And I was pretty integrally involved in the drafting of it."

Still, Democrats accuse Republicans of cherry picking information.

"The interest wasn't oversight," Schiff said. "The interest was a political hit job on the FBI in the service of the president."

Schiff says his colleagues are trying to discredit special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

If the President objects to committee could ask the full House to vote on whether it should be released.

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