Washington, DC -Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter requesting that Chairman Trey Gowdy place 12 motions for subpoenas on the agenda for the Committee’s upcoming business meeting on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.
For each request, Cummings and other Committee Members previously sent Gowdy detailed letters setting forth the specific bases for the motions. They include a wide range of oversight requests within the core jurisdiction of the Committee-some of which had been bipartisan. House rules allow Committees to debate and vote on motions to issue subpoenas if a majority of Committee Members approve, but Gowdy has declined or ignored all requests to obtain these documents or testimony.
“I understand that you personally may disagree with these requests, but our Committee Members deserve the opportunity to debate and vote on these motions, rather than you blocking their consideration," Cummings wrote. “House rules provide for subpoenas to be issued by a vote of the full Committee, and we have repeatedly asked for the opportunity to do so. Many Members believe that we must use the full force of the Committee to uphold our Constitutional obligation to conduct rigorous oversight of the executive branch. I ask that you allow us to offer these motions, debate them, and hold votes."
Gowdy has not issued a single subpoena as Chairman of the Oversight Committee during the Trump Administration.
The motions in today’s letter relate to the following 12 investigations in which documents and testimony are currently being withheld:
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Commerce Department and Census Bureau Withholding Documents on Citizenship Question
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Department of Justice Withholding Documents on Request to Add Citizenship Question to Census
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Department of Justice Withholding Documents on Politicized Hiring Allegations for Immigration Judges
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Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice Withholding Documents on Gag Order Against Whistleblowers
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White House Withholding Information on Chartered Flights
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White House Withholding Documents on Use of Private Email Accounts
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Department of Justice Withholding Documents on Improper Attempt to Classify Dana Boente Notes
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State Department and White House Withholding Documents and Testimony on “Cleaning" Out of Career Employees
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White House Withholding Documents on Rejected Security Clearance Application for NSC Deputy Robin Townley
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Cambridge Analytica Withholding Documents about Foreign Employees’ Participation in U.S. Elections
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Department of Health and Human Services Withholding Documents on Effort to Strip Information from Women’s Health Website
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The Federal Savings Bank Withholding Documents Relating to Loans Made to the President’s Campaign Chairman
Today’s letter follows multiple previous requests by Committee Democrats for votes on requests for subpoenas.
On May 18, 2018, Republicans blocked a subpoena to compel their own witness, a top appointee at the Department of Justice, to answer questions on the Trump Administration’s decision to add a census citizenship question. Republicans immediately moved to table the subpoena motion, and then voted along party lines to block debate on the motion.
On March 13, 2018, Cummings and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly sent a request to Gowdy asking for 13 motions for subpoenas to be added to the agenda for the business meeting the Committee held on March 15, 2018-all of which were denied:
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White House Withholding Documents on Security Clearances
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DHS Withholding Documents on Contract for Emergency Meals
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White House Withholding Information on Deadly Niger Ambush
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CBP Withholding Documents on Allegations of Sexual Assault by CBP Employees
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Agencies Withholding Identities of Regulatory Reform Task Force Members
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DOD Withholding Documents on Federal Response to Hurricanes
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HHS Withholding Documents on Collaboration with Right-Wing Group to Rescind Medicaid Freedom-of-Choice Letter
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DOI Withholding Documents on Reassignment of Employees
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DOJ Withholding Documents on Communications with White House on AT&T Time-Warner Merger
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TIGTA Withholding Response to Complaint
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USDA Withholding Documents on Communications with Corporate Lobbyists
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Trump Foundation Withholding Documents on Transfer of Assets to a Disqualified Person
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Jared Kushner for Testimony at Emergency Hearing on Conflicts of Interest and Security Clearances
Cummings and Connolly sent Gowdy a similar request on Feb. 2, 2018, asking for 13 motions for subpoenas to be added to the agenda for the business meeting the Committee held on February 6, 2018-all of which were denied:
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Trump Organization Withholding Documents on Foreign Payments
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DHS Withholding Documents on Russian Attacks Against States Before Election
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DHS Withholding Information from IG Report on Trump Muslim Ban
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White House and HHS Withholding Documents on Biased Refugee Report
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HHS Withholding Documents on Gag Order Against Whistleblowers
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Kushner Withholding Emails That Violate Presidential Records Act
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White House Withholding Documents on Security Clearance Suspensions
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Transition Team and DOJ Withholding Flynn, Jr.’s Security Clearance Documents
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White House Withholding Documents on Interim Security Clearances
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Flynn and Business Partners Withholding Documents on Middle East Nuclear Deal
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Data Firms Withholding Documents on Foreign Contacts During Election
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OMB Withholding Agency Downsizing Plans
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FDIC Withholding Documents on EPA Senior Advisor Banned from Banking
Cummings also sent Gowdy a request on Oct. 31, 2017, asking for six motions for subpoenas to be added to the agenda for the business meeting the Committee held on Nov. 2, 2017, but these were also denied:
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White House Withholding Documents on Flynn’s Foreign Contacts
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White House Withholding Documents on Personal Email Use by Top Aides
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Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Withholding Documents on Emails
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White House Withholding Documents on Hurricane Response
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Governor Snyder Withholding Documents on Flint Water Investigation
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Kushner Companies Withholding Documents on Alleged Housing Abuses
