White House Invokes Executive Privilege in Census Fight With House Democrats

** FILE ** In this May 24, 2005, file photo, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., speaks during a news conference regarding steroids in sports on Capitol Hill, in Washington. The White House office responsible for fighting illegal drug use has focused for nearly a decade on youths smoking marijuana instead of a broader strategy that would sufficiently target adult drug users, according to a study commissioned by a Senate committee. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The House Oversight Committee that is being mismanaged by Democrat chairman and would-be potentate Elijah Cummings (whose wife, by the way, it heavily engaged in financial shenanigans but you’d never know it by watching CNN or reading the New York Times) was all set to vote to hold Attorney General Bill Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt this morning. At stake was access to a considerable number of documents relating to the decision to add a question to the 2020 Census about the citizenship of the members of the households being enumerated. Despite the fact that this question was on the Census for about a century and that asking it is recommended even by the UN, somehow this question has become a flashpoint for conflict between Cummings and the White House. The fear on the part of the Democrats is that illegal aliens will not fill out the Census form and thereby deprive sanctuary cities and states of legislative power and federal largess.

Voting contempt citations on cabinet officials seems to be a sport among House Democrats and Barr, in particular, has become a target. Cummings claims it was necessary to get the documents he says are necessary to prove the Census question has nefarious purposes (I’d argue, that even were that the case, so f***ing what? In fact, were I Trump I’d even run on the fact that I kept illegal aliens from depriving US citizens of equal protection under the law by giving them voting representation to which they are not entitled). Besides, as Jim Jordan said, “Why don’t the Democrats want to know how many citizens are in the country?”

Needless to say, Cummings is not happy. He’s called off his little tantrum, for now.

With the new development, House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) announced that he would delay the contempt vote scheduled for Wednesday morning until later in the day so that members could read the Justice Department letter.

“We must protect the integrity of the census and stand up for Congress’ authority under the Constitution to conduct meaningful oversight,” Cummings said in explaining the need for a contempt vote.

He also questioned why Trump had waited to assert executive privilege on the brink of a contempt vote, given that the subpoenas in question were issued two months ago.

“This begs the question,” Cummings said. “What is being hidden?”

The Supreme Court heard this case in April and a decision will be issued in the next two weeks. If oral arguments are any guide, the citizenship question will be on the Census. And this will all be a sideshow, only smaller.

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The post BREAKING. White House Invokes Executive Privilege in Census Fight With House Democrats appeared first on RedState.