The New Democratic-controlled House is beginning to spread its wings. And after being in the minority for the first two years of the Trump administration, they have a lot to say, and more importantly perhaps, a lot to ask.
The biggest news comes from Democratic Representative Adam Schiff who announced he would be looking into Donald Trump’s finances. Trump called Schiff a “political hack” and said the investigation amounts to “presidential harassment.”
From Politico:
“On Wednesday, House Intelligence Chairman Schiff (D-Calif.) announced the parameters of his committee’s revived Russia investigation, which he said would “go beyond” Russian interference in the 2016 election and include whether Trump or his associates “have sought to influence U.S. government policy in service of foreign interests” and “whether any foreign actor has sought to compromise or holds leverage, financial or otherwise, over Donald Trump, his family, his business, or his associates.”
From the New York Times:
“The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday began a broad inquiry into whether Russia and other foreign powers may be exercising influence over President Trump, acting only hours after a defiant Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that the House would not be cowed by the president’s “all-out threat” to drop its investigations of his administration.
“Other committees were zeroing in on similarly sensitive oversight targets. On Thursday, Democrats will begin their quest to secure the president’s long-suppressed tax returns. The chairman of the Judiciary Committee readied a subpoena for the acting attorney general, Matthew G. Whitaker, in case he tried to avoid Democratic questioning. And a House Appropriations subcommittee chairwoman began an inquiry into administration rule-bending during the 35-day partial government shutdown.”
And those are just the beginning. One of the big issues for Democrats has been voting rights and yesterday, Elijah Cummings, the new chairman of the House Oversight Committee, gave us a taste of what the next two years will be like. This is a must-watch.
Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was questioning witnesses on dark money and politics.
And for the first time since 2011, a hearing was held in Congress on guns.
