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| Democratic Calls for Impeachment Inquiry Grow as Leaders Instead Vow to Toughen Tactics | Democratic Calls for Impeachment Inquiry Grow as Leaders Instead Vow to Toughen Tactics |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — A bloc of liberal Democrats began pressing on Tuesday for an impeachment inquiry of President Trump, underscoring party divisions and the growing difficulties that Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces as she tries to chart a more methodical course. | WASHINGTON — A bloc of liberal Democrats began pressing on Tuesday for an impeachment inquiry of President Trump, underscoring party divisions and the growing difficulties that Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces as she tries to chart a more methodical course. |
| Mr. Trump’s latest defiance of congressional oversight demands precipitated the break among Democrats. The former White House counsel Donald F. McGahn II, who had been called to testify on Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee about the president’s attempts to obstruct the Russia investigation, skipped the scheduled hearing after Mr. Trump ordered him to ignore lawmakers’ subpoena. | Mr. Trump’s latest defiance of congressional oversight demands precipitated the break among Democrats. The former White House counsel Donald F. McGahn II, who had been called to testify on Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee about the president’s attempts to obstruct the Russia investigation, skipped the scheduled hearing after Mr. Trump ordered him to ignore lawmakers’ subpoena. |
| Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the committee chairman, promised to hold Mr. McGahn in contempt of Congress and warned other potential witnesses to expect new hardball tactics — like changing House rules to allow fines for people held in contempt — but he stopped short of publicly endorsing impeachment. He later issued subpoenas for testimony to Mr. McGahn’s former chief of staff, Annie Donaldson, and Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director, both key figures in the special counsel investigation. | Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the committee chairman, promised to hold Mr. McGahn in contempt of Congress and warned other potential witnesses to expect new hardball tactics — like changing House rules to allow fines for people held in contempt — but he stopped short of publicly endorsing impeachment. He later issued subpoenas for testimony to Mr. McGahn’s former chief of staff, Annie Donaldson, and Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director, both key figures in the special counsel investigation. |
| House Democrats also continued to negotiate this week with the staff of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, over his own potential testimony, according to two people familiar with the conversations. | House Democrats also continued to negotiate this week with the staff of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, over his own potential testimony, according to two people familiar with the conversations. |
| “We will not allow the president to stop this investigation, and nothing in these unjustified and unjustifiable legal attacks will stop us from pressing forward with our work on behalf of the American people,” Mr. Nadler said during a brief hearing of an emotionally raw Judiciary Committee. “We will hold this president accountable, one way or the other.” | “We will not allow the president to stop this investigation, and nothing in these unjustified and unjustifiable legal attacks will stop us from pressing forward with our work on behalf of the American people,” Mr. Nadler said during a brief hearing of an emotionally raw Judiciary Committee. “We will hold this president accountable, one way or the other.” |
| The Democrats’ divisions over how to get the administration to cede to their oversight demands grew out of their fears that Mr. Trump is succeeding not only in evading accountability himself but also in permanently rewriting the rules of engagement between the legislative and executive branches. He could set a precedent that frees future presidents from one of the Constitution’s most potent checks on their power. | The Democrats’ divisions over how to get the administration to cede to their oversight demands grew out of their fears that Mr. Trump is succeeding not only in evading accountability himself but also in permanently rewriting the rules of engagement between the legislative and executive branches. He could set a precedent that frees future presidents from one of the Constitution’s most potent checks on their power. |
| “We can focus on McGahn. We can focus on Barr. We can focus on Michael Cohen. We can call the roll,” Representative Val B. Demings, a Florida Democrat on the Judiciary Committee who supports impeachment, said in an interview. “But the problem here is the president of the United States.” | “We can focus on McGahn. We can focus on Barr. We can focus on Michael Cohen. We can call the roll,” Representative Val B. Demings, a Florida Democrat on the Judiciary Committee who supports impeachment, said in an interview. “But the problem here is the president of the United States.” |
| Their concerns that Mr. Trump might be permanently weakening Congress’s powers prompted prominent liberal Democrats to declare privately and publicly in the past day and a half that they saw no choice but to initiate an impeachment inquiry. | Their concerns that Mr. Trump might be permanently weakening Congress’s powers prompted prominent liberal Democrats to declare privately and publicly in the past day and a half that they saw no choice but to initiate an impeachment inquiry. |
| The supporters of impeachment now number roughly two dozen. The new advocates included Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, a chairman of the influential Congressional Progressive Caucus; Representative Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania, the vice chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee; and Representative Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia. | The supporters of impeachment now number roughly two dozen. The new advocates included Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, a chairman of the influential Congressional Progressive Caucus; Representative Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania, the vice chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee; and Representative Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia. |
| They argued that an impeachment inquiry would streamline disparate House inquiries and empower the chamber’s committees as they conduct oversight of the executive branch. And they expressed hope that it would show the public that the fight over documents and witnesses is not just another partisan Washington squabble, but a showdown with historic implications. | They argued that an impeachment inquiry would streamline disparate House inquiries and empower the chamber’s committees as they conduct oversight of the executive branch. And they expressed hope that it would show the public that the fight over documents and witnesses is not just another partisan Washington squabble, but a showdown with historic implications. |
| “Congress has patiently tried to work within traditional means to get to the bottom of this extraordinary situation,” Ms. Scanlon said. “The time has come to start an impeachment inquiry because the American people deserve to know the truth and to have the opportunity to judge the gravity of the evidence and charges leveled against the president.” | “Congress has patiently tried to work within traditional means to get to the bottom of this extraordinary situation,” Ms. Scanlon said. “The time has come to start an impeachment inquiry because the American people deserve to know the truth and to have the opportunity to judge the gravity of the evidence and charges leveled against the president.” |
| Democrats are not getting help from House Republicans, who remain opposed to any additional investigation — despite the abdication of Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, who came out in favor of impeachment over the weekend. | Democrats are not getting help from House Republicans, who remain opposed to any additional investigation — despite the abdication of Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, who came out in favor of impeachment over the weekend. |
| “Here we go again — the theater is open,” Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said at the outset of Tuesday’s hearing. He accused Mr. Nadler of abusing his subpoena power to make unreasonable demands of the White House and witnesses to “get a headline.” Mr. Trump has made similar arguments, posting Tuesday on Twitter that Democrats are merely trying for a “do-over” after Mr. Mueller did not accuse him of committing a crime. | “Here we go again — the theater is open,” Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said at the outset of Tuesday’s hearing. He accused Mr. Nadler of abusing his subpoena power to make unreasonable demands of the White House and witnesses to “get a headline.” Mr. Trump has made similar arguments, posting Tuesday on Twitter that Democrats are merely trying for a “do-over” after Mr. Mueller did not accuse him of committing a crime. |
| Democrats continue to hold out hopes, albeit diminishing ones, that they can secure testimony from Mr. Mueller himself. Mr. Mueller’s team is questioning the timing and format of possible testimony, including how much of any hearing would take place in public rather than behind closed doors, the two people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations. | Democrats continue to hold out hopes, albeit diminishing ones, that they can secure testimony from Mr. Mueller himself. Mr. Mueller’s team is questioning the timing and format of possible testimony, including how much of any hearing would take place in public rather than behind closed doors, the two people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations. |
| The slow pace of the talks appears to go beyond logistics: House aides involved in the report say they have gotten the sense that Mr. Mueller, and some of his aides, would rather let his written report speak for itself than push him into the partisan fray. | The slow pace of the talks appears to go beyond logistics: House aides involved in the report say they have gotten the sense that Mr. Mueller, and some of his aides, would rather let his written report speak for itself than push him into the partisan fray. |
| Press officers for the Justice Department and the special counsel’s office declined to comment. | Press officers for the Justice Department and the special counsel’s office declined to comment. |
| Though outspoken and growing in numbers, supporters of an impeachment inquiry remain a relatively small minority of House Democrats. And their calls are at odds with their own leader, Ms. Pelosi of California, who holds the ultimate decision-making power over her caucus’s strategy and has consistently warned against the divisiveness of impeachment. | |
| Several members of Ms. Pelosi’s leadership team confronted her in private on Monday night with arguments in favor of beginning an inquiry, only to be gently swatted down with calls to stay the current course. On Tuesday, her allies pushed back hard in public. | Several members of Ms. Pelosi’s leadership team confronted her in private on Monday night with arguments in favor of beginning an inquiry, only to be gently swatted down with calls to stay the current course. On Tuesday, her allies pushed back hard in public. |
| “Candidly, I don’t probably think there’s any Democrat who probably wouldn’t in their gut say, ‘He’s done some things that probably justify impeachment,’” Ms. Pelosi’s top deputy, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, said on Tuesday. “Having said that — this is the important thing — I think the majority of Democrats continue to believe that we need to continue to pursue the avenue that we’ve been on.” | “Candidly, I don’t probably think there’s any Democrat who probably wouldn’t in their gut say, ‘He’s done some things that probably justify impeachment,’” Ms. Pelosi’s top deputy, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, said on Tuesday. “Having said that — this is the important thing — I think the majority of Democrats continue to believe that we need to continue to pursue the avenue that we’ve been on.” |
| Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the No. 5 House Democrat, told reporters that it was “clear” Democrats had not won back the House majority in last year’s midterm elections by campaigning on impeachment or obstruction of justice. | Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the No. 5 House Democrat, told reporters that it was “clear” Democrats had not won back the House majority in last year’s midterm elections by campaigning on impeachment or obstruction of justice. |
| But in a sign that Ms. Pelosi senses her caucus growing restless, she called a Wednesday morning meeting to update lawmakers on the status and strategy behind the House’s investigations. People involved in the investigations say that the speaker has also approved an escalation of tactics short of impeachment to try to turn the tables. | But in a sign that Ms. Pelosi senses her caucus growing restless, she called a Wednesday morning meeting to update lawmakers on the status and strategy behind the House’s investigations. People involved in the investigations say that the speaker has also approved an escalation of tactics short of impeachment to try to turn the tables. |
| Mr. McGahn may become a test case. He skipped the Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday after being instructed to do so by the White House, leaving an empty chair where Democrats had hoped he could serve as a star eyewitness. In ordering him not to appear, the president cited a Justice Department legal opinion that the Constitution gives senior presidential aides “absolute immunity” from congressional subpoenas compelling them to testify about their official work. | Mr. McGahn may become a test case. He skipped the Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday after being instructed to do so by the White House, leaving an empty chair where Democrats had hoped he could serve as a star eyewitness. In ordering him not to appear, the president cited a Justice Department legal opinion that the Constitution gives senior presidential aides “absolute immunity” from congressional subpoenas compelling them to testify about their official work. |
| In addition to fighting those claims in court, Democrats indicated that they would swiftly move to hold Mr. McGahn in contempt, perhaps taking the case straight to the House floor rather than waiting for a committee vote. They are newly considering altering House rules to allow for so-called inherent contempt penalties, like fines, people familiar with internal discussions said. | In addition to fighting those claims in court, Democrats indicated that they would swiftly move to hold Mr. McGahn in contempt, perhaps taking the case straight to the House floor rather than waiting for a committee vote. They are newly considering altering House rules to allow for so-called inherent contempt penalties, like fines, people familiar with internal discussions said. |
| The Judiciary Committee has already voted to recommend that the full House hold Attorney General William P. Barr in contempt for his defiance of another subpoena asking for Mr. Mueller’s full report and underlying evidence. Democratic leaders had been stalling on bringing the contempt citation to the floor of the full House, but have not indicated they will accelerate a vote when they return in June from the Memorial Day recess. | The Judiciary Committee has already voted to recommend that the full House hold Attorney General William P. Barr in contempt for his defiance of another subpoena asking for Mr. Mueller’s full report and underlying evidence. Democratic leaders had been stalling on bringing the contempt citation to the floor of the full House, but have not indicated they will accelerate a vote when they return in June from the Memorial Day recess. |
| Ms. Pelosi is said to be newly open to pulling Mr. Trump’s policy priorities into the fray, too. Thus far, she had refused to touch some of Congress’s traditional leverage buttons, like government appropriations bills. They could force Mr. Trump to reassess his approach, but also run the risk of backfiring on Democrats. | Ms. Pelosi is said to be newly open to pulling Mr. Trump’s policy priorities into the fray, too. Thus far, she had refused to touch some of Congress’s traditional leverage buttons, like government appropriations bills. They could force Mr. Trump to reassess his approach, but also run the risk of backfiring on Democrats. |
| The new arrows in Democrats’ quiver came after lawmakers pushing for impeachment pressed Ms. Pelosi in private meetings Monday night. | The new arrows in Democrats’ quiver came after lawmakers pushing for impeachment pressed Ms. Pelosi in private meetings Monday night. |
| After Ms. Pelosi lamented to members of her leadership team that the battles with the president were overshadowing Democrats’ legislative agenda, Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, argued that opening an impeachment inquiry could help solve the problem by centralizing fights with the White House over documents, according to three people in the room for the exchange, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. | After Ms. Pelosi lamented to members of her leadership team that the battles with the president were overshadowing Democrats’ legislative agenda, Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, argued that opening an impeachment inquiry could help solve the problem by centralizing fights with the White House over documents, according to three people in the room for the exchange, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. |
| Ms. Pelosi, who has long tried to move her caucus away from impeachment, was cool to opening such an inquiry right away. She asked Mr. Raskin whether he was suggesting the four other investigative committees just close up their work, the people said, and pointed out that Democrats had won an early court victory on Monday in a dispute over a House subpoena for Trump financial records. | Ms. Pelosi, who has long tried to move her caucus away from impeachment, was cool to opening such an inquiry right away. She asked Mr. Raskin whether he was suggesting the four other investigative committees just close up their work, the people said, and pointed out that Democrats had won an early court victory on Monday in a dispute over a House subpoena for Trump financial records. |
| Pressed in another meeting by Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee, whether she was making a political calculation in tamping down impeachment talk, Ms. Pelosi insisted the answer was no, according to one of the people. | Pressed in another meeting by Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee, whether she was making a political calculation in tamping down impeachment talk, Ms. Pelosi insisted the answer was no, according to one of the people. |
| “This isn’t about politics at all,” she said. “It’s about patriotism. It’s about the strength we need to have to see things through.” | “This isn’t about politics at all,” she said. “It’s about patriotism. It’s about the strength we need to have to see things through.” |
| Ms. Pelosi’s strategy still has broad backing, even among some rank in file members on the overwhelmingly liberal Judiciary Committee. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, said she was not ready for an impeachment inquiry. “Our job is to educate before we activate,” she told reporters. | Ms. Pelosi’s strategy still has broad backing, even among some rank in file members on the overwhelmingly liberal Judiciary Committee. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, said she was not ready for an impeachment inquiry. “Our job is to educate before we activate,” she told reporters. |
| Representative Lucy McBath, a Georgia freshman who is one of the lone Judiciary Committee members from a swing district, said she was trying to remind her colleagues of the political realities of an ideological diverse caucus and voters who sent them there. | Representative Lucy McBath, a Georgia freshman who is one of the lone Judiciary Committee members from a swing district, said she was trying to remind her colleagues of the political realities of an ideological diverse caucus and voters who sent them there. |
| “For people like me that are in the kinds of districts that I am in, impeachment is not something that a lot of people in my district want to talk about,” she said. “But at the same time I am tasked with being on this committee to make sure that no one is above the law.” | “For people like me that are in the kinds of districts that I am in, impeachment is not something that a lot of people in my district want to talk about,” she said. “But at the same time I am tasked with being on this committee to make sure that no one is above the law.” |