Discussion: House To Give Committee Chairs Power To Take Subpoena Fights To Court

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Again with the “next week?” I know you’re busy doing other things, but every day that goes by is one more day lost before the election, and one more day of looking weak to your base. Pick up the pace, Dems. At least pretend like you understand that we’re in crisis.

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Methodical is the way to go. Please proceed.

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Been tamping down a rising sense of despair lately. This helps. A little.

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Wonderfully astute tactic, Dems. That should reduce from 181 days to 176 the time it takes for Trump’s Supreme Court lackeys to reject your lawsuit, thus somehow ensuring the orange scourge is out of our lives by Jan. 2021.

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It is high time for this issue to get to the courts. Subpoenas are not invitations, they are commands. Certainly, the President can claim executive privilege regarding particular discussions and documents (especially those concerning foreign affairs and national security) and can assert executive immunity for witnesses who are current and very senior White house officials. But the President cannot prevent lawfully subpoenaed people from even appearing before Congressional committees, especially when those people are no longer working in the Executive Branch . Or, as the Supreme Court said in United States v. Bryan in 1950:

“A subpoena has never been treated as an invitation to a game of hare and hounds, in which the witness must testify only if cornered at the end of the chase. If that were the case, then, indeed, the great power of testimonial compulsion, so necessary to the effective functioning of courts and legislatures, would be a nullity. We have often iterated the importance of this public duty, which every person within the jurisdiction of the Government is bound to perform when properly summoned.”

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Will they also have power to arrest and/or impose fines?

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All this will end up in the courts, one way or another. And that’s getting to be a danger.

McConnell and trump have been packing the federal judiciary with trump lawyers to protect The Imperial Presidency.

Quisling McConnell, who denied President Obama his rightful Supreme Court pick, NOW says he’d fill a Supreme Court vacancy immediately.

Ditch Mitch
Dump trump

Register people to vote. Run for office. Get to the polls. Chnge the channel.

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unfortunately, the House can’t just change its rules on a dime. There is a process.

That being said…“next week” is bullshit. This should have been done “Last February” when it was already overwhelmingly obvious that Trump’s strategy was deny, defy, and delay.

But given the stranglehold “slow walk Pelosi” has on the process, its hard to tell if this is progress, or just more kayfabe]

@lestat
great quote from US v Bryan!!!

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Don’t despair…just yet.

I’ve decided that I’m not going to despair until four days after Mueller testifies. If that testimony does not result in an impeachment inquiry focussed on Trump’s treasonous conduct – denying and trying to cover up the Russia attack – then screw it. The Queen of the Donor Class will have won… and we will have lost.

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one step closer to burning trumps house of cards defense to the ground…

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There are two reasons offered for this change. One has to do with timing (and I understand that you’re skeptical). The other has to do with raw politics: not requiring vulnerable (non-committee) Democrats to vote repeatedly on the House floor re contempt.

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As a “Move faster, damnit” proponent - I’m really pleased to see this. “Outside the box” - agile development.

Credit where credit is due.

More of this please.

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Why, why, it’s almost like something McConnell would do.

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House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY) pushed for the new authority over the past few weeks, according to CNN.

Agreed. Also seems like a compromise. Pelosi gives Nadler this authority while holding back on impeachment.

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Hopefully all these subpoenas can get wrapped up by the 2040 elections.

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New tools. Tools are good for all kinds of things. You can use a hammer to build a house, or to hit a Reactionary over the head.

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Tools are meaningless unless they are taken out of the toolbox and used.

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It is Thursday. Those hamburgers don’t flip over and cook on the grill all by themselves.

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Which means they’re finally waking the fuck up. About time, I’d say. This is actually a good move on their part, imo.

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