Bipartisanship in Washington could occur after – Latest News
For these Americans eager for an finish to the hyperpartisan gridlock in Washington, there’s lastly some excellent news.
And it occurred on a highly regarded difficulty and concerned very large names.
The shocking vote got here final week when some Democrats joined with House Republicans to carry Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify underneath oath about their data of the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking scandal.
The quantity of crossover votes wasn’t massive, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a very large deal that even a handful of Dems crossed celebration traces to put the screws to main members of their own celebration on such a sordid matter.
The vote was all of the more shocking on condition that the Clintons, regardless of their limitless controversies and massive baggage, are nonetheless in good graces with the celebration and regarded Democratic royalty.
He is a former president and the previous first girl was secretary of state, a United States senator and the Dems’ 2016 presidential nominee.
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‘Not mere suggestions’
That historical past means the Clintons are broadly sought after for endorsements and fund-raising pitches on behalf of candidates throughout the nation.
Both gave well-received speeches in assist of Vice President Kamala Harris on the 2024 conference the place she was nominated because the presidential candidate.
So a determination by some House Dems to interrupt ranks and compel the Clintons’ testimony earlier than a GOP-led congress on any difficulty can be a very large deal.
And the Epstein case is not only any difficulty, particularly as a result of of the sickening fees about his recruitment and abuse of girls and younger women.
The full extent of Bill Clinton’s relationship with Epstein is just not clear, although the public has seen pictures of them collectively and along with his imprisoned recruiter, Ghislane Maxwell.
A not too long ago launched photograph reveals Clinton floating on his back in a sizzling tub, with Maxwell and an unidentified girl each seen.
The former president typically flew on Epstein’s personal planes, with evidences suggesting he took 20 or more flights, though Clinton denies any data of Epstein’s crimes and stated he by no means went to the infamous abuser’s personal island.
The Monica Lewinsky scandal and different reported affairs cement the previous president’s popularity, and so the Epstein connection provides a sordid chapter to Clinton’s shadowy previous.
Thus, the bipartisan vote towards him is very noteworthy in a congress the place almost each important vote, together with on authorities shutdowns, splits alongside celebration traces.
So hurrah for the daring Dems — 9 voted with the GOP to carry Bill Clinton in contempt, whereas three did so on the Hillary vote.
Among them was Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who informed reporters afterward that, “I’m just focused on survivors. We want to hear from anyone who has information. And that should not be limited to party lines.”
The vote got here after months of strain by the House Oversight Committee for the testimony.
Lawyer letters, calls for and guarantees got here and went because the Clintons demanded that they be allowed to submit written statements as an alternative of giving testimony underneath oath.
But as Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the GOP chairman of the committee, put it, “Subpoenas are not mere suggestions.”
The full House is now gearing up for a contempt vote, and passage would ship a prison referral to the Justice Department calling for prosecution of the Clintons.
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Digging up grime
That identical course of led to the prosecution of two Trump associates, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, underneath Joe Biden.
Both have been convicted and served 4 months in jail for refusing to testify about their data of occasions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
In one other hopeful signal, the party-crossing Dems have all lived to inform about it.
So far, there may be no Dem outcry that they’re traitors, neither is there any speak about discovering and funding major candidates towards them this yr.
Still, there may be one other side to contemplate, and that’s the place the excellent news turns bitter.
It’s that the Clinton vote is simply the newest signal that each Democrats and Republicans stay demonically possessed with exploring each jot and tittle of the disgusting life of a convicted prison who dedicated suicide in jail in 2019.
It’s additionally exhausting to flee the sense that every one maintain motives devoid of self curiosity.
Rather, I consider politics is the last word driver of the relentless ardour over Epstein, with each side holding out hope that proof exists someplace that may give them a kill shot to make use of towards their opponents.
Consider that final November, by extensive margins in each chambers, Congress handed the “Epstein Transparency Act” that required Attorney General Pam Bondi to release “all documents and records” held by the Justice Department that relate to Epstein.
She was given simply a month, or by final Dec. 19, to put just about each doc in a searchable information base for public consumption.
The act additionally lined Maxwell and included flight logs, journey data, customs and immigration paperwork for any plane, boat or vehicle “owned or used by Epstein.”
All inside Justice Department paperwork, together with memos, have been included.
In an extraordinary assertion that belies the political overtones, the law specified that with the exception of figuring out victims, “No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”
A significant component, of course, is that President Trump had a long relationship with Epstein, a reality Trump has admitted.
Photos show them collectively at Mar-a-Lago and elsewhere through the years, although there may be no charge that Trump acted inappropriately with any Epstein victims.
Fanning the flames
Although some Dems hoped the transparency act would nail Trump, the president supported it and even took credit for passage after it sailed by means of each chambers.
With some 75% of the public supporting the invoice, the measure united Congress.
There was just one “no” vote in the House, and Senate passage was unanimous.
But in an odd twist, the release of the paperwork is partially fanning the flames of partisanship.
That’s largely as a result of the paperwork are so voluminous that they’ve swamped the Justice Department and led to suspicions concerning the release timetable.
An AP report in December claimed the company was holding an estimated 5.2 million lined paperwork and had assigned some 400 legal professionals to reviewing them for fast release.
Recently, Justice stated it has launched 125,000 pages of paperwork, however critics, together with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, bitterly complain that the deadline required release of all paperwork.
“What are they trying to hide,” Schumer fumed as he accused the administration of violating the transparency act.
Bondi responded by writing that “There are more than two million documents potentially responsive to the Act that are in various phases of review” and that defending victims additionally slowed the method.
There you might have it.
Bipartisanship was enjoyable whereas it lasted.
