“Thursday, May 2, 2019, felt like the end of checks and balances
in America. It was the day that the Republicans on the House Judiciary
Committee stood by and supported the
executive branch’s decision to ignore a lawful subpoena issued
by the legislative branch. At this moment in time, we no longer really have
co-equal branches of government. And without this system, created with care by
the Founding Fathers, we edge ever close to a dictatorship.
“I spent five years working for Republicans on the House
Oversight Committee during the Obama administration and I can tell you the level of blatant obstruction we are seeing from Trump and
his cronies is on a totally different level from what the GOP was dealing with.
At this point, the only real recourse for Democrats is to compel cooperation is to initiate
impeachment proceedings and activate broader powers to enforce their subpoenas as
Congress did with President Richard Nixon. This executive branch is flagrantly
undermining the legislative branch. And it clearly thinks it can get away with
it.
“Our entire federal system is predicated on the idea that
fidelity to our constitutionally mandated rules of governance supersedes
political party. That even in the most partisan of environments, Republicans
and Democrats acknowledge and respect the role that the branches of government
play in limiting absolute power. But what happens when that respect is
obliterated? When one branch of government decides to go rogue and ignore the
constitutional authority of another?
“Unfortunately, this is no longer a theoretical exercise to be
examined and debated in the safe confines of a civics class. It is happening
right now, before our very eyes.
“Democracy
is about choice. The people who serve in Congress weren’t installed by decree
or birthright, but by a free vote of free people. By ignoring the authority of
the Congress, Trump and his followers are ignoring the will of the American
people. By shutting out the legislative branch, Trump and his administration
are thumbing their noses at the Framers’ framework, and everything it
represents.
“If there is a policy this White House does not like, it unilaterally changes it.
If there’s a question Trump officials don’t want to answer, they don’t show up, as
Attorney General William Barr did. If there’s information they want to keep
hidden from the American people, they sue a co-equal branch of
government to keep it secret.
“And the problem is just getting worse. Barr, who sounds
increasingly like a White House spokesperson and not top law enforcement
officials, defied a subpoena to
appear before the House Judiciary Committee on May 2. The Department of Trump —
I mean, Justice — ignored a subpoena deadline to
produce to Congress the unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s
report and the underlying evidence used to compile it. This prompted House
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to send a final counteroffer to
Barr. But on Monday, Barr again failed to comply with the subpoena; the committee will
vote to hold him in contempt on Wednesday.
“Also last week, the White House informed House Democrats that it would not comply with
a request for documents related to security clearances. Our Supreme Leader — I
mean President, Donald J. Trump — has sued two banks in an effort to block
them from complying with subpoenas from the House Oversight
Committee related to his and his family’s finances.
“Partisanship and obstruction is sadly not uncommon in America’s
political system. But by continuing to push the boundaries, Trump has exposed a
flaw within the framework of our political composition. Congress is effectively
powerless to make the executive branch do anything. They can issue subpoenas.
Those subpoenas can be ignored. They can hold people in contempt. But of
course, any U.S. attorney capable of prosecuting contempt can be fired by the
attorney general. If they go to court, it’ll take years to get resolved.
“Moreover, when it comes to Trump and Congressional Republicans,
there is little good faith left — if any. There certainly isn’t much trust.
With the backing of the White House, Republicans believe they can effectively
bully Democrats. And Democrats, led by the conventionally cautious wisdom of
lawmakers like Rep. Nancy Pelosi, are increasingly trapped by the process. If
they remain unwilling to deviate from conventional tactics, they will not be
able to gain much progress in these very unconventional times.
“Last November, millions of Americans voted in favor of having a
stronger check on power by ushering in a new Democratic majority in the House.
They voted to give Democrats the power of the congressional gavel, the power to
issue subpoenas, the power to conduct vigorous oversight. That mandate is being
ignored by the president and his henchmen. It is up to Democrats to protect and
defend the will of the people and they must do so boldly. There is no place for
traditional tactics or negotiations. We are in the midst of a national crisis —
a real one, not the manufactured one at the southern border. Who will stand up
for the Republic?”
We define indifference as a lack of interest, an unimportance or insensibility. As the Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel once stated: “[It] is more dangerous than anger and hatred.”
ReplyDeleteWe know that our indifference is in a complicit relationship with Trump’s and McConnell’s continued obstruction. We know that our indifference is the result of our weakness and fear; we know that democracy is in serious danger if we continue to choose to be indifferent.
The road to caring about America’s future begins with our understanding of the seriousness of these continued blatant attacks on our democracy. Our most effective response is our concerted actions to protect and secure our Constitution. We must organize and protest vehemently before it is too late.
"…Indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim…" (Wiesel, The Perils of Indifference).