Amash explains no vote on enforcing subpoenas against Trump administration officials

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Cascade Twp.) sided with his party Tuesday on a resolution to make it easier to pursue legal action against President Donald Trump administration officials who defy congressional subpoenas.

Although Amash split with the GOP in his call for Trump’s impeachment, the West Michigan lawmaker voted with his colleagues against a U.S. House resolution to allow committee leaders to file lawsuits to enforce subpoenas without a full House vote — so long as they also have the OK of a bipartisan group of House leaders.

Michigan’s congressional delegation was split 7-7 on whether to support the subpoena measure, as the Michigan Advance reported.

Trump has promised to fight “all the subpoenas.”

https://michiganadvance.com/2019/06/11/u-s-house-votes-to-take-trump-subpoena-fights-to-court/

Amash defended his position in a series of tweets Tuesday. He argued that the resolution “unfortunately shifts to leadership the power to authorize future enforcement lawsuits, further centralizing the House’s authority and undermining the institution.”

Here are two issues I tweeted about on Tuesday. In each case, I defend our Constitution, the Rule of Law, and the orderly working of our American institutions—and, in each case, the partisan reactions were perfectly predictable. The two-party system is hurting America. https://t.co/os5ZrBYPE9 pic.twitter.com/EbnL9LHax6

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) June 12, 2019

Amash said that U.S. House rules don’t clearly spell out whether a vote is required to authorize lawsuits against Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn.

The U.S. House resolution would allow lawsuits against them to proceed, and passed 229-191 along party lines on Tuesday.

Both Trump administration officials have fought against subpoenas related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian election interference probe, issued by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.

Previously, Amash resigned from the House Freedom Caucus, which he helped start, after he called for Trump’s impeachment.

Here are my principal conclusions:
1. Attorney General Barr has deliberately misrepresented Mueller’s report.
2. President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct.
3. Partisanship has eroded our system of checks and balances.
4. Few members of Congress have read the report.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 18, 2019

He has voted against his party more than any other U.S. House member, as the Advance reported.