Democratic senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday complaining that the administration appears to be purposefully ignoring requests for information from Democratic members of Congress.
“We write to express our concerns with recent reports that the White House may have instructed certain Federal agencies to refuse requests for information from Democratic members of Congress,” the senators wrote in a letter first reported by the Washington Post. “If true, such an instruction would be a significant departure from the practices of past Administration and seriously inhibit Congress’s ability to fulfill its legislative and oversight duties.”
The senators noted in the letter that the Supreme Court has acknowledged the need for Congress to have access to information from the White House in order to conduct oversight. They contended that most requests sent to agencies have gone unanswered under the Trump administration, however.
The senators asked Trump to “clarify that your Administration will not refuse requests for information from Congress, including Democratic members, and will provide the courtesy of a response to congressional inquiries in a timely and comprehensive manner.”
The letter was signed by 17 Democratic senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who caucuses with the Democrats.
Read the letter:
