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U.S. NEWS Thursday 7 February 2019

Unbowed by Trump, after the election to fore-

Democrats charge go a traditional 100-days
agenda — or the 100-hours
ahead with investigations to-do list she rolled out in
2007, the last time Demo-
crats had the majority — in
favor of a return to the leg-
Continued from Front World Bank. islative process.
After eight years in the mi- It’s partly a nod to the di-
The day after the president nority, House Democrats verse Democratic major-
essentially laid out the ul- are releasing their bottled- ity, whose members hold
timatum to Congress dur- up legislative energy at a different views on some
ing his State of the Union time when Trump’s annual issues. But it’s also a part
address, Democrats ap- joint address to Congress of Democrats’ efforts to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif.,
peared even more re- lacked many new initia- revive traditional govern- arrives to speak with reporters after his panel voted in a closed
solved to conduct over- tives of his own. ing, rather than lurching session to send more than 50 interview transcripts from its now-
sight of his administration The Democrats’ agenda from crisis to crisis, as had closed Russia investigation to special counsel Robert Mueller,
on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019.
and legislate on their priori- goes beyond oversight of become the norm when Associated Press
ties. Trump’s administration and Republicans were unable Much of the House’s legis- fer in the White House.
“The president should not Russian election interfer- to control their often unruly lation will fall flat in the Sen- This month, Democrats
bring threats to the floor of ence to the bread-and- conservative flank. Under ate, where Republicans expect to pass H.R. 1, a
the House,” Pelosi told re- butter issues of jobs, health new House rules, every bill retain control. Majority sweeping reform of cam-
porters, rebuking Trump for care and the economy must pass through com- Leader Mitch McConnell paign finance and voting
saying during his address that propelled them to the mittee before coming to a is expected to ensure his rights laws, and then turn to
that the “ridiculous partisan House majority. Pelosi said vote on the floor. chamber serves as a back- legislation to expand back-
investigations” must end they still hope to work with James Curry, an associate stop to prevent Demo- ground checks for sales
because they could harm the White House on shared professor of political sci- cratic bills from landing on and transfers of firearms.
the economy. priorities, particularly on ence at the University of Trump’s desk — although At the Natural Resourc-
Pelosi said Congress has lowering prescription drug Utah, said Democrats have the Senate’s own biparti- es Committee, overflow
a responsibility to provide costs and investing in infra- a short window to cap- san investigation into Rus- crowds of schoolkids, en-
oversight, under the Con- structure. ture the public’s attention. sian election interference vironmental activists and
stitution’s system of checks On Wednesday, one House “They want to show voters continues. others turned out for the
and balances, and would committee held a hearing they can legislate, they The more likely result is that first of what Chairman Raul
be “delinquent” if it failed on gun violence. Two oth- can run the government, the legislative agenda sets Grijalva promises will be a
to do so. ers gaveled in to address they can do the things they the stage for the next elec- month of hearings on the
Schiff indicated his com- climate change. And three said they’re going to do,” tion, in 2020, when voters effect of climate change
mittee’s investigation will more were debating pro- he said. will be assessing not only on coastal communities,
be sweeping. It will include tecting people with pre- “Reality,” Curry added, “is the performance of the national parks and other
“the scope and scale” of existing medical conditions obviously more complicat- new House majority but areas under the commit-
Russian intervention in the and the Affordable Care ed than that.” also which party they pre- tee’s oversight.q
2016 presidential election, Act.
the “extent of any links and/ The Foreign Affairs Commit-
or coordination” between tee was debating the war
Russians and Trump’s as- in Yemen and a war pow-
sociates, whether foreign ers resolution to halt U.S. in-
actors have sought to hold volvement in the Saudi-led
leverage over Trump or coalition.
his family and associates, Rep. Elijah Cummings of
and whether anyone has Maryland, the chairman of
sought to obstruct any of the Oversight Committee,
the relevant investigations. said Trump has to under-
“We’re going to do our jobs, stand “that he has to be
and the president needs to accountable.”
do his,” Schiff said, noting “It’s not about partisan in-
the probe will go beyond vestigations,” said Cum-
Russia to include leverage mings. “We all have to be
by the Saudis “or anyone accountable. And it’s a
else.” new day.”
Schiff said, “Our job in- The flurry of activity brought
volves making sure that the a turn of events for the new
policy of the United States Congress. Democrats had
is being driven by the na- been off to a rough start
tional interest, not by any as the 35-day government
financial entanglement, shutdown jammed the
financial leverage or other agenda and stifled the en-
form of compromise.” ergetic freshmen class that
Trump immediately shot swept the party to power in
back, calling Schiff nothing the midterm election.
but a “political hack” who With the longest govern-
has “no basis to do that.” ment closure over, for now,
“It’s called presidential ha- the new majority is eager
rassment,” Trump said dur- to deliver on its promises
ing an event at the White before the next election
House as he announced shifts attention yet again.
his new pick to head the Pelosi made a calculation