Attorney General William Barr refused to show up for a House Judiciary Committee hearing this morning.
New York Times: “The challenge for Mr. Nadler and other House committee leaders is now figuring out how to navigate to secure the material they need for their work. The Judiciary Committee could authorize another subpoena for Mr. Barr’s testimony.”
“But it then has different paths to escalating its case. Some lawmakers are arguing for opening an impeachment inquiry, which grants the House clearer powers to command information from the executive branch. Others want to hold Mr. Barr in contempt of Congress, a threat that could cajole him into voluntarily giving up more. They could also go to court to try to enforce their subpoenas. Each option has limitations and could slow Congress’s work substantially.”
NBC News: “Under the doctrine of ‘inherent contempt,’ the House or Senate could send members of its security force to arrest and detain the witness. There is precedent for this in U.S. history, but not recent precedent — it hasn’t been used since 1935.”
“In the modern world, the House sergeant-at-arms isn’t going to be able to arrest the attorney general, who is protected by an armed FBI security detail.”
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