House votes to hold Attorney General Barr, Commerce Secretary Ross in contempt for failing to comply

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

The House on Wednesday voted to hold Attorney General William P. Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt for failing to provide documents related to the Trump administration's efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, escalating the fight between Democrats and the White House over congressional oversight. The 230-to-198 vote along party lines came one day after the House approved a resolution condemning President Trump's racist remarks aimed at four minority congresswomen.

After a string of legal defeats, Trump last week abruptly retreated from his efforts to add the question to the census, announcing that he will instead order federal agencies to provide the Commerce Department with records on the numbers of citizens and noncitizens in the country. But lawmakers continue to demand answers about the motivations behind the administration's 19-month effort to ask about citizenship status on the decennial survey. In May, new evidence emerged suggesting that the question was crafted specifically to give an electoral advantage to Republicans and whites. The Trump administration has said it needs the information to better enforce the Voting Rights Act.

Barr and Ross wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier Wednesday saying they "strongly oppose" the resolution and asked her to postpone the vote so they could continue working through a legally mandated process toward a compromise. "By taking this action, the House is both unnecessarily undermining inter-branch comity and degrading the constitutional separation of powers and its own institutional integrity," the two Cabinet members wrote.

The impact of the contempt vote is largely symbolic. Those found in criminal contempt are normally referred to the Justice Department for prosecution; in this instance, the Justice Department would not prosecute itself.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-to-vote-to-hold-barr-ross-in-contempt-over-2020-census-citizenship-question/2019/07/17/8dbeb35c-a89c-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html

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Full headline: House votes to hold Attorney General Barr, Commerce Secretary Ross in contempt for failing to comply with subpoena on 2020 Census

Original article -

By Felicia Sonmez
July 17 at 6:25 PM

BREAKING: House votes to hold Attorney General Barr, Commerce Secretary Ross in contempt for failing to comply with subpoena on 2020 Census

The House Oversight Committee had sought documents from Attorney General William P. Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on the Trump administration's plan to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

While the House-passed resolution holds the men in criminal contempt, it's unlikely the Justice Department would take action against Barr and Ross.

This story will be updated.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-to-vote-to-hold-barr-ross-in-contempt-over-2020-census-citizenship-question/2019/07/17/8dbeb35c-a89c-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html?utm_term=.0b1c9c2e21f0

[DURHAM D]

1. and may this be the nicest thing that happens to them going forward

[in2herbs]

2. Hopefully the House will make Barr have to explain his reason not to pursue criminal contempt

and/or not to hand the matter off to outside counsel. Barr will only be able to explain himself by talking about what he doesn't want to talk about.

[riversedge]

27. This process is sure a mess. Barr will not prosecute himself and I highly doubt he will

had it off to someone else. damn.


........The impact of the contempt vote is largely symbolic. Those found in criminal contempt are normally referred to the Justice Department for prosecution; in this instance, the Justice Department would not prosecute itself.

[gopiscrap]

3. lock 'em up

[customerserviceguy]

4. I'm sure Barr will get right on that

It is a meaningless gesture unless it is taken to court.

[docgee]

8. Lock em up! On Jan 21, 2021!

[TheRealNorth]

11. 1000%

We cannot let them get away with breaking the laws like we let Bush and Cheney off.

[customerserviceguy]

28. From your lips

to God's ears, as the saying goes.

[VarryOn]

5. and where's the Kavanaugh impeachment we were promised...

For lying to the JudiciaryCommittee?!?!

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Another meaningless act. Barr will continue to claim the administration is

exempt from all subpoenas and immune from testifying.

[Maraya1969]

7. Mnuchin needs to be on that list for refusing to hand over IQ45's taxes.

[jvill]

9. If there's a long term strategy here...

... i'd love for the Dem leadership to start messaging what that is.

If it's "wave our hands around a lot and hope Trump doesn't actually blow up the whole thing" is really the plan, then they've got to try much, much harder.

[FakeNoose]

13. It's a diversionary tactic until Mueller testifies

[watoos]

14. Something to keep in mind about the Mueller testimony,

Mueller is a truth teller but he isn't going to volunteer information. The most important aspect of the Mueller hearing is the questions that are asked. Dems need to come prepared, Mueller is no show boat.

Dems need to bring in Andrew Weissman one of Mueller's bulldogs, to testify, if they want a show.

[calimary]

19. Or, hey, they can always send one of those "sternly-worded letters".

I understand those make great toilet paper substitutes in this White House.

[watoos]

23. They have passed numerous court cases

And have so far filed one.

I give credit to the ACLU, I have been sending them money, they are beating Trump in the courts.

[yaesu]

10. good, keep up the pressure on tRumps crime family fixer. nt

[sinkingfeeling]

12. How about impeaching Barr?

[OliverQ]

16. Because just like Trump, the Senate will block it.

[calimary]

21. It doesn't matter what the Senate does about it!

The impeachment itself will stand. It will stay on the books even if the Senate doesn't convict. The impeachment STAYS IN PLACE, and ON THE RECORD.

Remember: Bill Clinton has that hung around his neck forever. They couldn't convict and remove him, either, and he remained President. But the impeachment stood. Didn't matter that he wasn't convicted and removed in the Senate. That did not change the fact that he was impeached in the House of Reps.

That's all you need. And you'll leave a mark on his name for all of history.

[watoos]

17. Dems should look into that,

because I fully expect Barr to shit can the Epstein investigation. Proving that Trump is a pedophile would be a road too far for his base.

Barr lied to Congress, he needs to be impeached.

[The Wizard]

25. Epstein is charged under Florida law also.

The Governor will pardon him. If he gets charged under NY law his prison time could be degrading.

[OliverQ]

15. 4 Democrats voted no.

WTH?

[yaesu]

20. red state Dems? Well, probably and was planned so they could vote no I still get passed, but

looks bad for party unity.

[watoos]

18. Yeah I saw that,

maybe it was a protest vote because Barr isn't going to prosecute himself. Honestly, a civil contempt charge would have probably had more teeth.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

22. Lock them up!

[NCjack]

24. They "... asked her to postpone the vote so they could continue working through a legally

mandated process toward a compromise."

Her answer should be "put on another shift and git'er done."

[Bayard]

26. "By taking this action,"

"the House is both unnecessarily undermining inter-branch comity and degrading the constitutional separation of powers and its own institutional integrity".

That is just rich! No shame, no concept of irony.