Adam Schiff: How a Democratic House would check this erratic president [View all]

[ehrnst]

What will oversight look like under a Democratic majority? Given the wealth of disturbing conduct by the Trump administration, our caucus — led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — will need to ruthlessly prioritize the most important matters first. In the Intelligence Committee, we will assess the work we have accomplished despite the Republican efforts at obstruction, along with what the Senate and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III have examined, and determine what else needs a full accounting. There are serious and credible allegations the Russians may possess financial leverage over the president, including perhaps the laundering of Russian money through his businesses. It would be negligent to our national security not to find out.

In the Oversight Committee, ranking Democrat Elijah E. Cummings (Md.) has said he wants to scrutinize bread-and-butter issues, such as the high cost of prescription drug prices, and corruption issues, including whether Trump is profiting off the presidency. On the Judiciary Committee, ranking Democrat Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.) is demanding oversight of potential abuse of the pardon power, attacks on the rule of law, and campaign finance violations. And Democrats on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee want to make sure veterans are getting the best care and that decisions are being made by the professionals, not Trump’s unelected cronies.

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Make no mistake, our first task will be to put forward a positive agenda for the American people — one that focuses on raising incomes and lowering health-care costs. But at the same time, we must do what the supine Republican Congress has failed to do over the past two years: restore Congress as an equal branch and check the ambition of an imperial and erratic president.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congressional-republicans-have-abdicated-their-oversight-duties-time-for-a-new-majority/2018/10/12/df95c994-c8e2-11e8-9158-09630a6d8725_story.html