Jerry Nadler: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, when a congressional committee issues a subpoena, compliance is not…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, when a congressional committee issues a subpoena, compliance is not optional. We expect witnesses to testify when summoned. We expect the administration to comply with subpoenas and to provide us with the materials we require to do our jobs. Of course, there may be differences between the Congress and the executive branch as to what information can be produced on a timely basis. When those differences arise, we are required to seek a reasonable accommodation. We first requested access to the full Mueller report and the underlying evidence on February 22. After refusing for almost 4 months, the Department of Justice, in the last few days, has finally agreed to permit us to view the special counsel's most important files. We are hopeful this will provide us with key evidence regarding allegations of obstruction of justice and other misconduct. Given this potential breakthrough, we will hold the criminal contempt process for Attorney General Barr in abeyance for now. But President Trump has blocked other key witnesses from testifying before the Judiciary Committee, including his former White House counsel Don McGahn, whose account of the President's actions was featured in the Mueller report. The President has claimed absolute immunity for critical witnesses to prevent them from even showing up.…”