The Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee have written to Chairman Bob Goodlatte sharply questioning his reluctance to hold hearings on the Trump administration’s possible obstruction of justice, the firing of FBI director James Comey and the actions of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

With our Committee on the sidelines, the situation grows more perilous by the day. Last month, President Trump took to Twitter to threaten Mr. Comey, cautioning that he “better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” Two weeks ago, the President floated the notion of firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller before his investigation even gets off the ground—over the loud objections of Democrats and Republicans alike. Last week, the President took aim at Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein: “I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt.” In anticipation of the President’s next attack, the public is now openly speculating about the line of succession at the Department of Justice.

In our Committee meetings, you have expressed reluctance to investigate these matters because “the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are also conducting investigations.” It falls to us—and not to the intelligence committees—to examine questions about obstruction of justice, the dismissal of the FBI Director, and any attempt to influence or pressure the leadership of the Department of Justice. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, agrees with us [see here] on this point, and our Senate counterparts are already working with Special Counsel Mueller to lay out the next steps of their investigation.

At other times, you have expressed unwillingness to debate these questions because “investigations into these matters are ongoing.” We appreciate the sensitivity of the work of the Special Counsel, but nothing about an ongoing investigation prevents us from acting responsibly and conducting our own oversight… [T]he investigation into Secretary Clinton’s use of a private email server did not prevent you from asking either the Attorney General or the FBI Director about the case—long before the investigation itself had concluded.

…..

At the beginning of this Congress—under your leadership and pursuant to your amendment to our oversight plan—the Committee made a commitment to conduct oversight into allegations of misconduct by executive branch officials.

We ask you to respect that commitment, and schedule hearings with the leadership of the Department of Justice and the FBI without delay.

(See the letter here.)

Congressman Goodlatte has not had the courtesy to even respond to any of the previous letters from Judiciary Committee Democrats since November (see here, here, here, here, here, here and here). Unfortunately there’s no reason to expect anything different this time.

Dan Casey’s column in Sunday’s Roanoke Times makes it clear.

Bob “Law and Order” Goodlatte agreed to a legal fiction: that his April 12 speeding violation in Nelson County– for driving nearly twice the speed limit– was the result of a “defective speedometer” when in fact it was the result of a heavy foot on the accelerator. If Goodlatte expects the rest of us to respect the letter and spirit of the law, he should be willing to do so himself, even at the cost of some points on his driving record.

The amended charge simply requires everyone to pretend something happened that did not in fact happen. It’s unfortunate that that judge, the commonwealth’s attorney and the congressman colluded in such dishonesty, even if it is supposedly standard practice.

When the House of Representatives approved the misbegotten American Health Care Act as a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, Congressman Goodlatte tweeted:

So I can’t help wondering how Goodlatte feels now that the president he has supported so loyally has trashed the House-passed AHCA in a meeting with Republican senators.

Sources who spoke to the Associated Press said Trump told GOP senators that the House bill is “mean, mean, mean” and must be made “more generous.” CNN adds that Trump told the lawmakers that the House bill would leave too many people vulnerable and that he wants more money spent on those people. One Republican senator related that Trump “talked about the need to take care of people.”

Now that Trump has blown to smithereens all of Goodlatte’s assurances about how the AHCA will protect people better than the ACA, what does the congressman have to say?

He should be asked.

After President Trump answered “100 percent” to a question about whether he was willing to testify under oath about his conversations with then-FBI director James Comey, Congressman Luis Gutierrez called on House Judiciary Committee chair Bob Goodlatte to invite Trump to do just that.

“It is the House Judiciary Committee that should be the venue for the President to defend himself against the serious allegations of official misconduct, including but not limited to apparent attempts at obstruction of justice in the removal of Mr. Comey in order to relieve the ‘pressure’ the President was feeling from investigations related to his campaign’s ties to Russian meddling in America’s most recent presidential election,” Gutierrez, a member of the committee, wrote in a letter to Goodlatte.

“Therefore, I believe it is incumbent on you as Chairman to immediately invite the President to testify.”

The House Judiciary Committee has, to date, stayed out of probing alleged improprieties by Trump and his administration, to the dismay of Democrats on the panel.

Given Goodlatte eagerness to probe Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state, his hands-off approach to Trump raises legitimate questions. Now that Trump has suggested he wants to give his side of the story under oath, why not take it up on it?

Predictably Congressman Goodlatte joined virtually every other House Republican Thursday to approve the Financial CHOICE Act and send it to the Senate.

According to GovTrack.us:

This bill would make sweeping changes to the financial regulatory system by revising the changes that were put in place after the 2008-2009 economic crash. The bill would weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and regulations that prevent commercial banks from trading for their own gain, among other changes.

The New York Times reported:

The bill would also eliminate the Labor Department’s fiduciary rule, which requires brokers to act in the best interest of their clients when providing investment advice about retirement.

Perhaps Goodlatte would like to explain to Sixth District retirees depending on investment income how this will benefit them.

Goodlatte, who likes to present himself as a champion of service members and veterans, apparently chose to ignore a memorandum from Robert E. Wallace, Adjutant General of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who pleaded with House members to oppose the Financial CHOICE Act because it could weaken the ability of the CFPB to protect service members and veterans from predatory financial practices.

In a statement posted on his website, Goodlatte claimed:

The Financial CHOICE Act puts Main Street first. This legislation levels the playing field by eliminating the onerous regulations [of the Dodd-Frank Act] that are holding back job creators and stifling access to credit and capital.

But as CNBC reported, Dodd-Frank has not stifled access to credit or capital. In fact, “Since the law took effect in July 2010, bank lending to businesses and consumers has continued to hit new highs.”

With a big boost from the information technology, internet and music industries, Congressman Goodlatte’s reelection campaign committee took in $144,425 in contributions during the first three months of 2017, according to the Federal Election Commission.

All but $9,600 of that amount is designated for Goodlatte’s 2018 primary contest– assuming he has a Republican challenger.

As I noted in February, Goodlatte co-chairs the Congressional Internet Caucus. In addition the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, includes a subcommittee on intellectual property and the internet.

The Staunton News Leader reported in 2015:

The congressman’s staunch support for copyright protections has endeared him to the liberal movie and music industry crowd. As he was about to assume his chairmanship two years ago, CNET Magazine announced Goodlatte as “Hollywood’s new copyright ally.” The International Business Times reported… that the Motion Picture Association of America has a priority of raising money for Goodlatte.

He said he doesn’t consider himself “Hollywood’s congressmen.” His alliance with movie and music makers stems from his focus on intellectual property, the ideas and inventions that he believes drive economic growth.

“You come up with a brilliant idea, whether it’s creative like art or music, or movies or books or an invention —something that can be patented,” Goodlatte said. “Then you get rewarded by the government protecting your rights under that; you then have the opportunity to grow the economy.”

Fair enough, but that doesn’t justify overlooking Goodlatte’s positions on a host of other issues which have been documented at Goodlatte Watch.

Among the IT and internet supporters of Goodlatte’s reelection campaign are the PACs of:

· Oracle ($2,500)

· eBay ($2,000)

· Amazon ($2,500)

· AT&T ($2,500)

· Comcast ($2,500)

Greg Maurer, public policy director for Facebook, kicked in a total of $5,000 ($2,700 for the primary and $2,300 for the general election).

The music industry has been generous. Donors include the PACs of:

· National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences ($2,500)

· National Music Publishers Association ($1,500)

· Universal Music Group ($2,000)

Among the individual contributors were Jeff Walker, executive vice president at Sony Music ($500); Mitch Glazier, president of the Recording Industry Association of America ($1,000); Clark Miller, executive vice president at Warner/Chappell Music ($500); and Jody Klein, CEO of ABKCO Music & Records ($500).

Goodlatte has plenty of other corporate donors, including the PACs of Wendys, Corning, Texas Instruments, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Nationwide Insurance and Toyota.

Goodlatte has also received donations from two union PACs: the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees ($2,500) and the American Federation of Musicians ($1,500). This hasn’t altered his essential hostility to organized labor, including support for a national “right to work” law.

You can find a complete list of the early donors to Goodlatte’s 2018 campaign here.

Here’s Congressman Goodlatte’s statement on President Trump’s announcement that the United States has joined only Nicaragua and Syria in rejecting the Paris climate agreement:

Today’s decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement was the right move. I’ve had concerns from the beginning that this agreement was never ratified by the Senate, failing to get the scrutiny of the People’s elected representatives and flouting our constitutional treaty approval process. Additionally, the agreement puts significant burdens on the U.S. while we have already taken substantial steps in reducing CO2 emissions in our country. We all want a healthy environment to pass down to the next generation, and we should continue to work toward this goal on the international front in a way that preserves both the American economy and the environment.

Thus Goodlatte continues his down-the-line support for Trump’s policies and actions, no matter how reckless and irresponsible. In fact the White House even bragged about it.

Perhaps Goodlatte doesn’t understand the irony of this tweet on his Twitter feed:

being followed by this tweet:

The young wind-energy technologists from Botetourt County could probably explain to Goodlatte a thing or two about the dangers of climate change and need for renewable energy.

In case Goodlatte hasn’t noticed, the greatest job growth is in renewable energy. As someone who claims to want to create new employment opportunities for folks in the Sixth District, he should want to encourage this. You would think.

While Senator Tim Kaine spoke out against President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal and noted the pain it would inflict on hundreds of thousands of Virginians, Congressman Goodlatte refused to criticize the plan and dodged questions about it.

The Staunton News Leader reported:

President Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal spells trouble for many “critical programs” vital to Virginia’s families, children, seniors and businesses, according to U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

…..

The president promises a balanced budget in 10 years while also cutting taxes, and so getting there means cuts to many other programs under his proposal… Slashing the budgets of those “critical programs” would take a toll on the Valley, Kaine said, highlighting the suite of cuts he projects would hurt Virginians most.

In the fight against opioid addiction, community mental health services would lose $116 million in block grant funding and other state mental health grants would be reduced by $136 million, Kaine notes. The budget would also cut substance abuse treatment grants for states by $73 million and public awareness programs by $74 million, he said.

 

Kaine also pinpointed the cuts to Medicaid, student loan programs, the Social Security Disability Insurance program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helped feed 826,000 Virginia residents in 2016, as areas where Virginians could be hurt.

…..

“Trump’s budget would cause disproportionate pain in the rural communities he promised to help — including those in southern and southwest Virginia and the Valley,” Kaine said.

 

U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th, noted Trump’s budget proposal “is just that — a proposal” and that Congress ultimately has the responsibility to set the nation’s final budget and appropriate funds.

Goodlatte said he “appreciates” the “steps” Trump is taking “to address the out of control spending that has plagued Washington for far too long,” but did not directly answer a question over whether he supports the proposed budget.

…..

Goodlatte praised the president’s initial budget released in March, while saying then that he was still “reviewing” the proposal’s “impacts on the Sixth District specifically.” He did not answer a question Wednesday over how he sees the latest Trump budget proposal potentially impacting the Valley.

Among the deep cuts which Trump wants (and which Goodlatte can’t bring himself to oppose) are reductions in the SNAP (food stamps) program, Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). 

In Goodlatte’s Sixth District, more than 31,000 households depend on SNAP, the majority of them with children under 18. More than three-quarters of these households have someone who worked over the past 12 months.

Six percent of adults in Goodlatte’s district are covered by Medicaid and 31 percent of children are covered by Medicaid/CHIP. 

Will Goodlatte fight to protect the most vulnerable among his constituents from the worst effects of Trump’s budget? So far the signs aren’t promising.

Along with 216 of his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives, Congressman Goodlatte voted on May 4 to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with the American Health Care Act.

Not only that; he was “proud to support” the AHCA without waiting for an analysis of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office.

That analysis was released Wednesday, and now we know what Goodlatte is proud to support.

According to the CBO, the AHCA would leave 23 million more Americans uninsured within a decade.

It would substantially increase premiums for older Americans.

And it would reduce the deficit even less than an earlier version of the legislation.

The good news, if you’re extremely rich, is that the AHCA would provide you with a big cut in your taxes.

Goodlatte’s constituents may want to ask the congressman exactly what the source of his pride is.

Update: According to Sarah Kliff at Vox, the CBO report is “a complete rebuke of Republicans’ claim that the bill they voted for will protect Americans with preexisting conditions.” She cites an “especially devastating” paragraph from the report:

People who are less healthy (including those with preexisting or newly acquired medical conditions) would ultimately be unable to purchase comprehensive nongroup health insurance at premiums comparable to those under current law, if they could purchase it at all — despite the additional funding that would be available under H.R. 1628 to help reduce premiums. As a result, the nongroup markets in those states would become unstable for people with higher-than-average expected health care costs.

It turns out a statement on Congressman Goodlatte Facebook page which I linked to Wednesday— approving the appointment of a special counsel to investigate possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in trying to influence the 2016 election– was incomplete.

I just came across a statement on Goodlatte’s website which adds the following paragraph:

I applaud the Trump Administration for taking this important step that the previous Administration repeatedly declined to do in other matters, ensuring an independent and thorough investigation is conducted to unearth all the facts. This decision will help instill much needed public confidence in the investigation.

So Goodlatte applauds the “Trump Administration” for something that Trump is clearly unhappy about and considers part of a “witch hunt”, while taking the opportunity to aim a shot at his preferred target: the Obama administration. Unfortunately for the congressman, Obama is no longer President of the United States.