The eyes of America will be trained on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, as Robert Mueller testifies before two House committees about his report on Russian election interference, links between the Trump campaign and Moscow and potential obstruction of justice by the president.
Related: 'It's a political civil war': Trump's racist tirades set tone for 2020
Continue reading...Special counsel agrees to testify in open session on 17 July, chairmen of judiciary and intelligence committees say
The special counsel Robert Mueller has agreed to testify before Congress next month.
Mueller agreed to testify before the House judiciary committee and House permanent select committee on intelligence in an open session on 17 July, the chairmen of the committees announced on Tuesday, in what is likely to be the most highly anticipated congressional hearing in years.
Continue reading...After the Senate majority leader dismissed the idea of reparations, Coates testified before Congress about ‘campaign of terror’ against black Americans
Closing out live coverage this evening, with an updated summary of today’s news from Amanda Holpuch and me:
Watch some of the key moments from today’s Congressional debate over reparations:
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Richard Nixon’s former White House counsel John Dean testified before the House judiciary committee today, bringing the fire by stating that “Robert Mueller has provided this committee with a road map” to impeachment.
It appears Dean’s superfans were also there.
John Dean superfans asking him to sign Watergate paraphernalia is a very 2019 thing pic.twitter.com/3ZUDars4Lf
Here’s something fun: Lissandra Villa, a Time magazine reporter, has the walk-out song playlist for the 2020 candidates at the Iowa Democrats Hall of Fame campaign event yesterday.
It’s a good list. We’ve got Dolly Parton for Elizabeth Warren, Lizzo for Kirsten Gillibrand, Marvin Gaye for Tulsi Gabbard, the Clash for Beto O’Rourke, John Lennon for Bernie Sanders, Mary J. Blige for Kamala Harris.
Here is the walk-out song playlist for the candidates at the Iowa Democrats Hall of Fame campaign yesterday. The songs were chosen by the campaigns. pic.twitter.com/Aphykxt322
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been bartending this week - returning to the job she had before running for Congress - to raise support for living wage legislation. NY1 and WNYC have some scenes from today’s venue.
She’s now going around the restaurant, pen and pad in hand taking orders.
.@AOC begins serving tables at an embargoed location in Queens - she says she’s excited for servers to be the served today. pic.twitter.com/YdCjZvkSI7
There’s a new push from the left to defeat one of the only remaining anti-abortion Democrat in the House, BuzzFeed reports.
Progressives are targeting Dan Lipinski, an Illinois congressman. Marie Newman, a Chicago businesswoman, is running against him for the second time. “This type of legislation is authoritarian and totalitarian. There’s no other way to describe it,” Newman told BuzzFeed of the recent spate of state-level abortion bans. “Let’s be honest about what it is. It’s taking us back 100 years, and that’s not exaggerating.”
Continue reading...Donald Trump has said Robert Mueller 'should never have been chosen' for the position of special counsel, claiming Mueller wanted to replace James Comey as FBI director. Trump's remarks come a day after the former special counsel said at a press conference that investigators could not conclude that the US president had not committed a crime
Special counsel gave public statement for first time about the investigation, prompting a response from Donald Trump: ‘The case is closed’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tiptoed around calls for impeachment in a new statement responding to Mueller’s remarks. In her comments, she praised Mueller for his work and vowed to continue investigating the Trump administration.
“The Congress holds sacred its constitutional responsibility to investigate and hold the President accountable for his abuse of power,” she said. “The Congress will continue to investigate and legislate to protect our elections and secure our democracy. The American people must have the truth.”
Former South Carolina Democratic party chair Jamie Harrison on Wednesday launched his campaign for the Senate seat held by Lindsey Graham.
Here’s his launch video:
I may not be a superhero, but I am a proud South Carolinian, and I'm ready to fight for a better future for our state and our country. I hope you are, too. Find out how you can #JoinJaime and get involved: https://t.co/2jIqtqbKAB pic.twitter.com/zTjktJ1RpA
Continue reading...Special prosecutor says investigators did not have confidence that the US president did not commit a crime. Delivering his first statement on the Trump-Russia investigation, Mueller explained the investigation was bound by the longstanding Department of Justice policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted
Continue reading...A new book from Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff says special counsel Robert Mueller drew up a three-count obstruction of justice indictment against Donald Trump before deciding to shelve it – an explosive claim which a spokesman for Mueller flatly denied.
Related: 'It's all explosive': Michael Wolff on Donald Trump
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That’s all from me! Here’s a rundown on the day’s major events:
Abortion providers reported an “alarming escalation” in incidents of disruption and intimidation in 2018, according to a new report by their professional association, the National Abortion Federation (NAF).
Trespassing reached the highest level since the NAF began recording such incidents in 1999, while incidents of obstruction grew 78% from 2017 to 2018. Providers also reported record levels of picketing (99,409 incidents) since recording began in 1977, and the highest number of incidents of vandalism (125) since 1990.
Continue reading...As Donald Trump opened fire on Justin Amash, the Michigan representative who became the first Republican in Congress say he had engaged in “impeachable conduct”, Mitt Romney declined to join the fight.
Related: Justin Amash becomes first Republican to back Trump impeachment
Continue reading...Congressman says Mueller report ‘identifies multiple examples of conduct satisfying all the elements of obstruction of justice’
The Michigan congressman Justin Amash has called for Donald Trump to be impeached, adding a first Republican voice to a growing chorus of Democrats demanding Congress move against the president.
Amash is a libertarian and independent-minded politician who has flirted with the idea of a run against Trump in 2020, and has in turn been attacked by the White House. Elected in the Tea Party wave of 2010, he was a founder of the House Freedom Caucus, which has become a hard-right mouthpiece for Trump.
Continue reading...Secretary of state’s visit will be first high-level meeting since redacted Mueller report release
Mike Pompeo is to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia at a time of heightened fears of a clash between the US and Iran, a Moscow ally.
A Kremlin spokesman, before the meeting on Tuesday, accused the US of applying a “maximum pressure policy” against Iran, a reference to a harsh US sanctions regime and military deployments to the Middle East.
Continue reading...The former FBI director says there were at least two incidents that prove criminal intent on the president’s part to obstruct justice
James Comey, the former director of the FBI, has said that the Mueller report contains sufficient evidence that Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice that he would have been charged, were he not president.
Comey is the latest in a growing list of former federal prosecutors and senior judicial figures who have said that the factual details contained in Robert Mueller’s report into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race would be grounds for indicting Trump with multiple felony charges for obstruction. A joint letter to that effect has now been signed by 803 individuals.
Continue reading...Panel takes action after Barr refused to provide unredacted Mueller report, as Schiff subpoenas attorney general
House Democrats voted on Wednesday to hold the US attorney general, William Barr, in contempt of Congress, citing his failure to hand over the full, unredacted version of the special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The decision came on a day of escalating tensions between Congress and the White House.
Earlier on Wednesday, the White House invoked executive privilege to block the House judiciary committee’s request for the full Mueller report and underlying evidence.
Continue reading...McConnell says ‘case closed’ as prosecutors say Trump would face ‘multiple charges of obstruction of justice’ if he were not president
House speaker Nancy Pelosi and senate minority leader Chuck Schumer have issued a joint letter calling McConnell’s “case closed” speech this morning “a stunning act of political cynicism and a brazen violation of the oath we all take”:
Joint Pelosi-Schumer statement calls McConnell’s Mueller speech this morning “a stunning act of political cynicism and a brazen violation of the oath we all take” pic.twitter.com/ey7XmpNkC1
Warren brings her call for Trump’s impeachment from the campaign trail to the floor of the US senate:
On the Senate floor, Sen. Warren calls for impeachment proceedings against President Trump:
"We took an oath to protect and serve the Constitution of the United States of America, and the way we do that is we begin impeachment proceedings now against this president." pic.twitter.com/3IjR0NSrdK
The attorney general stands accused of acting as the president’s personal lawyer rather than a guardian of the constitution
Moments before a highly anticipated congressional hearing at which the star witness, the attorney general William Barr, was no longer expected to appear, Representative Steve Cohen placed a porcelain chicken on the dais.
It was 9am and Barr was officially a no-show.
Continue reading...House speaker criticized attorney general’s failure to show up for House hearing during her weekly press conference
President Trump is now touting a number of issues important to evangelical Christians, including ending the Johnson Amendment and saying “Merry Christmas.”
The Johnson Amendment prevented houses of worship with tax exempt status from endorsing political candidates. The Trump administration ended enforcement of that provision.
President Donald Trump is now speaking at the Rose Garden for the National Day of Prayer. Watch live here.
Continue reading...William Barr was defiant during his appearance before Congress on Wednesday, defending his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. In uncomfortable testimony for Trump's chief legal officer, Democrats called for his resignation and accused him of deliberately misrepresenting Mueller's findings in the president’s favour.
Continue reading...Trump’s attorney general testified before the Senate Wednesday after Mueller criticized his summary of the Trump-Russia investigation report
Here’s the full statement from House judiciary chair Jerry Nadler:
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler says if Attorney General William Barr doesn't provide the unredacted Mueller report to Congress in the next day or two, "the next step is seeking a contempt citation against the attorney general." https://t.co/muIkjgd0aT pic.twitter.com/s0q6kBctHw
Here’s attorney general William Barr’s full statement for why he won’t be testifying tomorrow before the House judiciary committee:
Barr’s statement makes clear that the sole basis for his refusal to testify before House Judiciary is that they intended to have a staff attorney ask questions.
Apparently Barr doesn’t want to face 30 minutes of well-crafted questions. pic.twitter.com/4pWMoFzKHp