MAY 9, 2019
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she agrees with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler that the country is in a “constitutional crisis” amid a tense standoff between congressional Democrats and the White House.
Nadler declared a “constitutional crisis” after his committee voted along party lines on Wednesday to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt for defying a subpoena to release special counsel Robert Mueller’s full, unredacted report on the Russia investigation.
House Democrats have issued a number of subpoenas for testimony from past and current administration officials as well as for President Donald Trump’s financial records. But the White House has asserted executive privilege over the entire Mueller report.
“I agree with Chairman Nadler. The administration has decided they’re not going to honor their oath of office,” Pelosi said at a Thursday press conference. “We have investigations that’ll give us facts and the truth. This is about the American people and their right to know.”
The California Democrat was also asked when the House would schedule a full floor vote on holding Barr in contempt. She didn’t offer a timeline, saying that, “There might be some other contempt of Congress issues that we want to deal with at the same time.”
But Pelosi still pumped the brakes on impeachment when asked why the House wouldn’t pursue it if the United States is in a “constitutional crisis.” Pelosi said House committees are still engaged in investigations and that it’s not “impeach or nothing.”
“It’s a path that is producing results and gathering information,” she added.
Republicans have lashed out at Democrats for their series of investigations into Trump and his administration, arguing that they’re rooted in partisanship. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this week called on Democrats to move on from Mueller’s investigation, declaring “case closed.”
“There’s this outrage industrial complex that spans from Capitol press conferences to cable news,” the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday. “They’re grieving that the national crisis they spent two years wishing for didn’t materialize. But for the rest of the country, this is good news.”
But Pelosi pushed back, saying Congress’ oversight authority transcends politics.
“This is very methodical, constitutional-based, very law-based,” she said. “It’s not about pressure, it’s about patriotism.”
Courtesy/Source: US News
