20 House Dems: Flynn Needs to Testify Before House Foreign Affairs Committee

From: Towleroad

Twenty House Democrats led by Rep. David Cicilline have called for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s affairs with Russia in a letter to Chairman Ed Royce.

Read the letter HERE.

The Hill reports:

“We believe General Flynn must appear before the Committee, under oath as soon as possible,” they wrote Tuesday in a letter released Wednesday.

“General Flynn’s resignation leaves many unanswered questions about his and President Trump’s ties to Russia and whether America’s national security and intelligence operations have been compromised,” they added.

“Our country’s national security, independence, and democratic institutions are at stake. As the body within the House with jurisdiction over U.S. foreign policy, we would be negligent if we left the questions about this incident unanswered.”

Wednesday’s letter was signed by Democratic Reps. David Cicilline (R.I.), Brad Sherman (Calif.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), Albio Sires (N.J.), Gerald Connolly (Va.), Theodore Deutch (Fla.), Karen Bass (Calif.), William Keating (Mass.), Ami Bera (Calif.), Lois Frankel (Fla.), Joaquin Castro (Texas), Robin Kelly (Ill.), Brendan Boyle (Pa.), Dina Titus (Nev.), Norma Torres (Calif.), Thomas Suozzi (N.Y.), Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.), Ted Lieu (Calif.), Bradley Schneider (Ill.) and Tulsi Gabbard(Hawaii).

Meanwhile Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) has launched a working group to review how Trump can be removed from office via the 25th Amendment:

“Like many people, I’ve noticed renewed interest in the 25th Amendment, as we’ve seen erratic behavior out of the White House and inability of Donald Trump to even tell whether it rained on him during his inaugural speech and repeating false statements that are demonstrably wrong,” Blumenauer said in a House floor speech.

The 25th Amendment, established 50 years ago after President Kennedy’s assassination, states that the vice president assumes the Oval Office in the event that the president is removed from office, resigns or dies.

It stipulates that the vice president and a majority of Cabinet officers may declare the president unfit to serve. The vice president would then take over as president.

If a president refuses to step down from office, two-thirds of both the House and Senate must then agree in order to force the president out.

Blumenauer was skeptical, however, that the procedure would work in cases of mental or emotional incapacity, especially in the modern, highly polarized political environment.