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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...eport-n1003146Trump asserts executive privilege as House Judiciary Committee prepares to hold Barr in contempt
The Justice Department told lawmakers Tuesday ahead of the panel's session that it would recommend that President Donald Trump assert executive privilege to the material the attorney general has declined to provide.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has asserted executive privilege over special counsel Robert Mueller's unredacted report as the House Judiciary Committee prepares to vote to hold his attorney general, William Barr, in contempt of Congress.
Faced with "blatant abuse of power" by Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the president "has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege," the White House said Wednesday.
The committee vote and Trump's assertion of privilege represents a major escalation of the battle between congressional Democrats and the president. It will likely lead to a protracted legal war over Mueller’s 448-page report on alleged obstruction of justice by Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
The Justice Department had told lawmakers Tuesday ahead of the session that it would recommend that Trump assert executive privilege to that material.
Members of the Judiciary Committee were expected to spend the Wednesday markup discussing the resolution to hold Barr in contempt, as well as a supporting 27-page report in which Democrats raised the prospect of impeachment as a result of their investigation relating to the Mueller probe.
In his opening remarks, Nadler said it was "not a step we take lightly," but rather the "culmination of nearly three months of requests, discussions and negotiations with the Department of Justice."
"In response to our latest good-faith offer, the Department abruptly announced that if we move forward today, it would ask President Trump to invoke what it refers to as a protective assertion of executive privilege on all of the materials subject to our subpoena. Just minutes ago, it took that dramatic step," Nadler continued.
"Let me be clear: The information we are requesting is entirely within our legal rights to receive and is no different from what has been provided to Congress on numerous occasions, going back nearly a century," he added.
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., the ranking member of the committee, said in his opening statement that Democrats on the committee were rushing the oversight process because they are "angry" that "the special counsel's report did not produce the material or conclusions they expected to pave their path to impeaching the president" — sullying Barr's reputation in the process.
"I ask you to recognize that craven and insincere politics yield anemic dividends for Americans who have asked us to legislate," Collins said. "As I have told you on multiple occasions and proved at last week’s pharmaceuticals markup, I stand ready to work with you to promote solutions. I will not, though, become a bystander as you assail the attorney general and this committee. Our democracy deserves better."
Once the Judiciary Committee signs off on the contempt resolution, it will go to a vote in the full House. The timing of that vote would be up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
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Live: House Judiciary Committee to vote to hold AG Barr in contempt
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Collins call out House democrats actions exactly what they are...
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Yes Nancy, your party is indeed creating a crisis. Voting to hold an AG in contempt because he is enforcing the 4th amendment. Good job!
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4...utional-crisisPelosi agrees US faces constitutional crisis
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday said she agreed with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler's (D-N.Y.) assertion that the U.S. is currently facing a "constitutional crisis" after the panel voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress.
"Yes, I do agree with Chairman Nadler," Pelosi said during a press conference in the Capitol, "because the administration has decided that they're not going to honor their oath of office."
Yet Pelosi said even a constitutional crisis is not grounds to launch impeachment hearings against the president before Nadler and the heads of the other investigative committees are able to gather more evidence — and convince more voters — that such a step is necessary.
"This is very methodical, it's very Constitution-based, it's very law-based, it's very factually based," she said. "It's not about pressure, it's about patriotism."
Pelosi's remarks came a day after the Judiciary Committee voted along strict party lines to hold Barr in contempt for his refusal to comply with the panel’s subpoenas seeking an unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
"We’ve talked for a long time about approaching a constitutional crisis. We are now in it,” Nadler told reporters after the vote.
"Now is the time of testing whether we can keep a republic, or whether this republic is destined to change into a different, more tyrannical form of government," he added. "We must resist this."
Pelosi declined to say when the full House will vote on the contempt measure, suggesting Democrats are eyeing similar contempt resolutions targeting other administrative officials and packaging them all together before bringing it to the floor. She did not name names.
"In terms of timing, when we're ready, we'll come to the floor. And we'll just see, because there might be some other contempt of Congress issues that we want to deal with at the same time," Pelosi said.
"[Nadler] wants to do it as soon as possible, and so do we."
The contempt resolution against Barr will have no immediate practical effect, as the Justice Department is highly unlikely to take action against the attorney general. But it escalates the already heightened tensions between the Democratically led House, which is seeking to delve deeper into Mueller’s findings, and a White House and Republicans in Congress fighting to put a lid on the years-long investigation.
The release of Mueller's report has fueled a small but vocal group of liberals on and off of Capitol Hill clamoring to impeach Trump. Pelosi has consistently tamped down that effort, citing the lack of public support. On Thursday, she amplified that message, noting that the ouster of President Nixon took months of investigations to bring voters on board.
"Impeachment is one of the most divisive things that you can do, dividing a country," she said. "Unless you really have your case with great clarity for the American people."
But Pelosi has also adopted a new framing for the debate in recent days, arguing that Trump, by stonewalling Congress's oversight efforts, is building the case for "self-impeachment."
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Ohh the hypocrisy:
Just joined the #walkout of the House chamber to protest the shameful, politically-motivated GOP vote holding AG Holder in contempt
— ******Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) June 28, 2012
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Holy **** the Democrats have been completely taken over by idiots.
Barr followed the law, literally these laws about redactions are from democrats in the 90s tryouts no to protect people caught up in the Clinton investigation.
Tell me what’s redacted, that isn’t supposed to be redacted by law..
Barr didn’t even write the report, yet people want to blame him for what’s inside.
Idiot democrats, preying on the idiots gullible bottom feeders like posters on here..
“Mueller time”Comment
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How many times did we hear Mueller's coming, it won't be long. He'll save the world! This is why Trump is polling higher. People that were in the middle are starting to see what's going on.Originally posted by Sugar Adam Ali View Post
We had our Mexican friends over for the canelo fight. They said they didnt know how they were going to vote for last time round.
The wife and I took this as they voted for Clinton because they knew we were going Trump.
So taxes come up, by chance hahaha. I asked how they did. He said " I'm voting for Trump! I laughed. They did very well with taxes. Kids, and the pallet business. These people make maybe, 200k a year. Guy is a hard worker.
I bet there's a lot if people feeling this way. I guess we'll see what happens.Comment
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