Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) aka “Moscow Mitch” welcomed a Russian Oligarch to build an aluminum processing plant in his state. Along with McConnell’s overwhelming race to seed the courts with ultra-conservative judges this has dire consequences for Congress. The House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) had a different opinion.
The Kentucky senator helped undermine Congress’ “oversight power:”
‘Breaking News: A U.S. federal appeals court ruled that Congress cannot sue to enforce subpoenas against the executive branch, dealing a blow to Congress’s oversight power’
Schiff pointed at the “duplicity” when Donald Trump’s attorneys put forth an “unprecedented legal theory.” The California representative noted that these same attorneys argued the exact opposite during Trump’s impeachment trial.
First, it was their argument that the House must “enforce subpoenas in court.” Then, the president’s attorneys argued before a US Appeals Court that “courts cannot enforce congressional subpoenas.”
Judge Thomas Griffith in the Department of Justice (DOJ) headed up by Attorney General William Barr wrote:
‘The committee now seeks to invoke this court’s jurisdiction to enforce its subpoena on behalf of McGahn, responds that Article III of the Constitution forbids federal courts from resolving this kind of interbranch information dispute.“We agree and dismiss this case.’
Schiff noted The New York Times article about congressional oversight:
‘Trump’s lawyers convinced two judges of their unprecedented legal theory that courts CANNOT enforce congressional subpoenas. This was after they argued during the impeachment trial that the House was REQUIRED to enforce subpoenas in court. Such duplicity can’t survive appeal.’
Twitter world went nuts. Check out these favorites below:
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
