who voted to hold attorney general william barr in contempt of congress

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What was the vote to hold Barr and Ross in contempt of Congress?

The 230-198 vote to hold Barr and Ross in criminal contempt of Congress is largely symbolic, as President Donald Trump’s DOJ will not act on the request.

Who was the attorney general in contempt of Congress?

The vote to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress is largely symbolic, as President Donald Trump’s DOJ will not act on the request. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo

What did Trump do after his defeat?

After his defeat at the Supreme Court, Trump backed down from the effort, instead issuing an executive order that allows federal agencies to gather citizenship data through other means.

Why do Democrats oppose the citizenship question?

Democrats have accused the Trump administration — and Ross in particular — of lying about the origins of the citizenship question, and they uniformly oppose it because they say it would result in an under-count in immigrant-heavy communities.

Why did the Supreme Court block the Commerce Department from adding the controversial question to the census?

The Supreme Court last month blocked the Commerce Department from adding the controversial question to the census, with the court ’s majority arguing that the administration had not given a sufficient justification.

Who is the former White House counsel?

The House general counsel has already filed suit to obtain Trump’s tax returns from the IRS, and Democrats gearing up for court action to enforce the Judiciary Committee’s subpoenas for testimony from ex-Trump aides, including former White House Counsel Don McGahn and former communications director Hope Hicks.

Who decried the Democrats' move to hold them in criminal contempt?

In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Barr and Ross decried Democrats’ move to hold them in criminal contempt.

Why did Barr get contempt of Congress?

The House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress after the Trump administration invoked executive privilege over the contents of the Mueller report.

When did Barr testify before the Senate?

U.S. Attorney General William Barr testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on May 1. The House Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to hold him in contempt of Congress, pushing the resolution to the full House.#N#Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

What would happen if the Justice Department released information?

A Justice Department letter sent Tuesday night said releasing that information "would force the department to risk violating court orders and rules in multiple ongoing prosecutions, as well as risk the disclosure of information that could compromise ongoing investigations."

Who is the White House press secretary?

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that "Faced with Chairman Nadler's blatant abuse of power, and at the Attorney General's request, the President has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege."

Is the Mueller report subject to executive privilege?

It's not clear how the Trump administration can argue that the contents of the Mueller report can be subject to executive privilege as the vast majority of it has already been made public and a published version is in fact a bestseller.

Who released the letter to Nadler?

As debate began on the contempt resolution, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd released a letter to Nadler, "to advise you that the President has asserted executive privilege over the entirety of the subpoenaed materials."

Does Barr say the privilege shields the material that Nadler wants?

Nonetheless, Barr and the Justice Department now say that the privilege shields the material that Nadler wants, one day after the White House threatened to invoke it to block former White House counsel Don McGahn from turning over documents in answer to a committee subpoena.

Who is in contempt of Congress?

House of Representatives voted to hold Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress for defying bipartisan subpoenas authorized by the Committee on Oversight and Reform and withholding key documents regarding the Trump Administration’s illegal pretext for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

Why did the President contradict Secretary Ross' sworn testimony?

The President’s statements directly contradict Secretary Ross’ sworn testimony that the only reason the Trump Administration wanted this data was to help the Justice Department enforce the Voting Rights Act.

Why did Ross ignore the Census?

We learned that Secretary Ross ignored warnings from experts inside and outside the Census Bureau—including the Bureau’s Chief Scientist—that adding a citizenship question would be costly and harm the accuracy of the Census.

When did the Committee Democrats ask for documents?

Committee Democrats first asked for documents from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice when we were in the minority—in April and May 2018. Both Departments ignored us.

Who is the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform?

Below is a statement from Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, as prepared for delivery on the House floor:

Is holding a cabinet secretary in contempt of congress a serious matter?

I do not take this decision lightly. Holding any Cabinet Secretary in criminal contempt of congress is a serious and somber matter—one that I have done everything in my power to avoid.

Why did Barr get in contempt of Congress?

Attorney General William Barr in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena regarding the Trump administration's prior push to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

Who voted against the contempt citations?

Four Democrats — Jared Golden of Maine, Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Anthony Brindisi of New York — broke from party ranks to vote with Republicans against the contempt citations. Independent Justin Amash, the former Republican who became the first member of his former party to call for the president's impeachment, voted with Democrats in favor of contempt.

Who accused the Democrats of rushing the oversight process?

Republicans, meanwhile, accused the Democrats of rushing the oversight process and alleged that members were afraid of the investigations Barr has suggested he may initiate into surveillance practices under the Obama administration.

Who said once the committee obtains the documents it needs, it can move forward, including on the issue of impe?

Later, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said that once the committee obtains the documents it needs, it can move forward, including on the issue of impeachment, prompting Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to shoot back that Democrats' efforts were all about impeaching the president.

Why did Doug Collins say Democrats were acting in haste?

Doug Collins, R-Ga., the committee's ranking member, said Democrats were acting in haste 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.

Did Nadler's actions have an effect on the status quo?

"Nadler’s actions have prematurely terminated the accommodation process and forced the President to assert executive privilege to preserve the status quo ," spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in a statement. "No one, including Chairman Nadler and his Committee, will force the Department of Justice to break the law.”

Who called the panel's continued demands for materials unreasonable?

In a letter sent Tuesday night to Nadler after negotiations between committee lawyers and the Justice Department over accessing redacted portions of the report, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd called the panel’s continued demands for materials “unreasonable” and urged them to delay Wednesday’s scheduled vote to initiate the contempt process.

Is Eric Holder in contempt of court?

When Republicans controlled the House in 2012, they voted to hold President Barack Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, in contempt over the administration’s failure to turn over documents. In 2014, a federal judge declined the committee’s bid to hold Holder in contempt of court.

Who said the president now seeks to take a wrecking ball to the Constitution of the United States of America?

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said that the collapse of negotiations between Barr and the committee, as well as Trump's assertion of privilege, brought her to only one conclusion: "that the president now seeks to take a wrecking ball to the Constitution of the United States of America."