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Republicans on Tuesday stifled a Democratic attempt to force the Justice Department to produce records related to its investigation of whether DonaldTrump and his campaign had secret ties to Russia. Apowerful GOP committee chairman said, however, that he would urge federal authoritiesto continue their probe.

The party-line House Judiciary Committee vote concerned a resolution of inquiry, an obscure legislative maneuver that allows Congress to demand documents from the executive branch. Under House rules, such a resolution must be debated in committee or be sent directly to the House floor.

[Democrat moves to force House debate on Trumps alleged business conflicts and Russia ties]

The resolution was among the steps that members of the Democratic minority in the House have taken topressure the GOP to toughen its oversight of President Trump and his administration. Itasked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to provide records that pertain to any criminal or counterintelligence investigation into Trump, his White House team or certain campaign associates; any investment made by a foreign power or agent thereof in Trumps businesses; Trumps plans to distance himself from his business empire; and any Trump-related examination of federal conflict of interest laws or the emoluments clause of the Constitution.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who filed the resolution, toldhis colleagues that the panels lawmakers should notbury our heads in the sand.

The security and integrity of our nation are at stake, he said. It is unfortunate that we must resort to a resolution of inquiry to learn the truth about these serious issues. However, the House has so far abdicated its constitutional responsibility to provide meaningful oversight into the Trump administration, and it is time that we do our duty. . . . The public deserves to know the truth about the president, and we must not stop until we get these answers.

Rep. BobGoodlatte (R-Va.), the Judiciary Committee chairman,called the resolution unnecessary, premature and not the best way for this committee or the House to conduct oversight. Instead, he said,he plans to send a letter requesting that Sessions proceed with investigations into any criminal conduct regarding these matters acknowledging, at the same time, that his own requests for a Justice Department briefing on the Russia allegations had gone unanswered.

This resolution is about politics, not information, Goodlatte said, pointing to a Nadler news release boasting that the resolution would force a GOP vote on Trump. Our oversight efforts can and should be better than that, Goodlatte said.

Also opposing the resolution was Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee who had gained headlines in recent days by calling on Sessions to step aside and allow an independent prosecutor to handle theRussia probe. Sessions, a former senator, was an early endorser of and key adviser to Trumps campaign, and he has close ties to seniorWhite House aides.

But Issa said Goodlattes plan to send a letter to Sessions was fitting and appropriate as a first step, noting his own history while Oversight Committee chairman of being a prolific sender of letters. Virtually without fail, my investigations started with letters, he said. So I, with utmost of respect for my colleagues, would ask that we use the system first.

Nadler reminded Issa that he filed his resolution only after three letters Democrats had sent toRepublicans went unanswered.

Issaassured him he would persist: I have a long history of limited patience. . . . I am, if nothing else, tenacious.

The debate took place over the course of several hours Tuesday evening, not long beforeTrump was set to arrive on Capitol Hill to address a joint meeting of Congress for the first time, and it was attended by a capacity crowd of liberal activists who were gaveled quiet on several occasions after cheering Democrats remarks.

The final vote was 18 to 16 along party lines to report the resolution unfavorably, meaning it will not be taken up on the House floor. Besides rejecting the underlying resolution, Republicans also voted down amendments that would have expanded it to include documents on White House contacts with the FBI and on Justice Department deliberations on Sessionss possible recusal.

Theresolution of inquiry stands to becomea tool that Democrats, with little leverage as the minority party, will use to highlight issues with the Trump administration.Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced another such resolution Monday to force Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to releaserecords concerning the administrations plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Tuesdays Judiciary Committee vote came a day after Democrats attempted to bring a resolution to the House floor calling on Trump to release his tax returns to Congress and the public, whichhe has long refused to do, citing an ongoing Internal Revenue Service audit.

The attempt was turned back on a procedural vote that followed party lines. Two Republicans, Reps. Walter B. Jones Jr. of North Carolina and Mark Sanford of South Carolina, declined to join their GOP colleagues and voted present.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said afterward that by turning back the sense of Congress resolution that they had made themselves accomplices to hiding President Trumps tax returns from the American people.

The American people deserve the truth about Russias personal, political and financial grip on President Trump, she said. If theres nothing there, then what are Republicans afraid of?

Originally posted here:
Republicans vote down attempt to advance debate on Trump-Russia allegations - Washington Post