The new Congress must hold Trump accountable | Claire Finkelstein
Summary
The article argues that the incoming Congress should prioritize investigations and oversight rather than expect major legislation to pass, even with Democrats controlling both chambers. It says past impeachment efforts faltered when Congress did not persist in compelling key Trump administration officials to testify, and urges Congress to enforce its subpoena power to hold the executive branch accountable.Key Facts
- The article says Democrats won majorities in the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
- It cites polls that found 53% of respondents viewed Trump as corrupt and reported Republican voters’ concerns about the economy and rising prices.
- The author says legislative efforts will face obstacles, including divisions among Democrats, a possible Senate filibuster and Trump’s vetoes.
- The article recommends sustained oversight investigations to promote executive-branch accountability and strengthen Congress.
- During the first Trump impeachment, the article says the House did not secure testimony from several senior officials, including Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo and John Bolton.
- The House pursued a subpoena for White House lawyer Don McGahn, but the resulting court battle lasted two years before producing negotiated testimony.
- The article says the Senate called no witnesses during Trump’s second impeachment trial after reversing an earlier vote to do so.
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