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Here is something that can change everything. Apparently the trump attorneys have agreed to send their appeal of the Trump tax thing to the supremes which will, then, in theory, "The court’s action signals that, even as Congress considers impeaching Trump, the court will undertake a more complete consideration of the legal powers of Congress and state prosecutors to investigate the president while he is in office."
I think this means that several things will be decided. The first is whether the Trump packing of the Supreme Court works for him. This is one everybody would like to know. If they do not decide in Trump's favor AND give the house the power to get folks to testify who have refused so far we will be in an entirely different world.
I knew it was just a matter of time before the SCOTUS heard the case about Trump's tax returns. This is an old article, but here is the catch.
"As the Supreme Court explained in Watkins v. United States, “there is no congressional power to expose for the sake of exposure.” Rather, if Congress wants to collect information from the executive branch or other outsiders, it must do so in connection with its legislative power. That is, a Congressional attempt to investigate an official or request information from him is valid only to the extent it serves proper legislative purposes.*** Congress cannot simply engage in “a fruitless investigation into the personal affairs of individuals.” Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U.S. 168, 195 (1880).."
That is from the SCOTUS itself. there's a lot more which basically leaves the whole thing up in the air. Then what exactly is "proper legislative purposes?" Passing or drawing up legislation? So like everything else surrounding Trump, it's a "We'll see." Every time I predict any ruling by the SCOTUS, I get it wrong. I read the Constitution in plain English, the SCOTUS reads it in lawyerese.
I've always thought if congress subpoenas someone, they must appear. Now they can take the fifth, but they must show up. Perhaps we need a SCOTUS ruling on how far and what does executive privileged cover.
One thing is certain in my mind. The Congress needs to get back a lot of their Constitutional powers they voluntary ceded away to the administration and other government agencies and departments. The way I see it, congressional members of the party of the president have been more members of that president's administration than members of the institution of congress. It's been this way for 50 plus years or more. Probably ever since Sam Rayburn and Mike McCormick stepped down as Speaker. Both were very protective of the powers of congress and neither would cede any. Not even to a president of their own party.
It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.
