Busting the obstructors

Deadline: right NOW and until they stop –

UPDATE May 6: House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler has initiated a resolution to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt of congress for failing to submit the full Mueller Report and underlying evidence.

The Obstructor-in-Chief, fearing his “presidency” will be forked if the truth comes out about his abuses of power and other wrongdoing, is heaping new obstructive conduct atop his and his cronies’ sky-high stonewall pile. After the Barr-redacted Mueller Report revealed a road map for House Democrats to investigate wrongdoing by 45 and his criminal gang, the administration’s obstruction zoomed into overdrive: they’re preventing witnesses from testifying, fighting subpoenas, ignoring document requests, filing lawsuits, and more! Speaker Nancy Pelosi lays it out in her May 1 memo, titled (caps in original!): “TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OBSTRUCTION: UNPRECEDENTED, UNWARRANTED, UNCONSTITUTIONAL.”

What to do:

As Democrats, including the House Committees trying to perform constitutionally mandated oversight grapple with this unprecedented obstruction, we need to let our Members of Congress know they must not blink first or bow to pressure. We also need to urge them to use every possible tool to fight the roadblocks, and at the same time to keep following every possible path to investigate. Finally, we need to let them know we have their backs, because they will surely hear from the other side! Keep reading below the call script for a list of some obstruction-busting tools you can mention when you call.

What to say: 

My name is ____, my zip code is ____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. I fully support the Democrats in investigating Trump and the administration’s abuses of power. Please use all possible tools such as [SEE BELOW FOR LIST] to fight the obstruction and keep investigating.

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein: (email); (415) 393-0707 • DC: (202) 224-3841
• Sen. Kamala Harris: (email); (415) 981-9369 • DC: (202) 224-3553
• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier: (email); (510) 620-1000 • DC: (202) 225-2095
• Rep. Barbara Lee: (email); (510) 763-0370 • DC: (202) 225-2661
• Rep. Eric Swalwell: (email); (510) 370-3322 • DC: (202) 225-5065

In the Toolbox:

Representative Elijah Cummings, Chair of the House Oversight Committee, speaking on April 30 about threats of non-compliance by former White House Personnel Security Director Carl Kline, who was in charge of the security-clearance process and now works at the Defense Department, said:

We will do everything in our power to enforce our subpoena. I refuse to be in a situation where we are unable to use every tool that we have in our toolbox to do that.

Democrats are using some of these options, and weighing others. Mention one or two of them when you call your Member of Congress:

• Subpoenas 
• Fines
• Imprisonment
• Criminal contempt of congress
• Cut appropriations to departments that aren’t complying
• Refuse to pay salaries of officials

Road block sign, photo © Alex Grichenko