Want Congress to Fulfill Oversight of the Executive? Demand Support for This Resolution

Anti-Trump groups are calling for constituents to put pressure on their lawmakers Monday to thwart Republicans from quelling a resolution that would make the president disclose his potential conflicts of interest and ties to Russia.

Introduced earlier this month by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), the resolution of inquiry directs Attorney General Jeff Sessions to give to the U.S. House documents "relating to the financial practices" of President Donald Trump, including "any criminal or counterintelligence investigation" targeting him, foreign government investment in any of Trump's holdings, his "proposal to maintain an interest in his business holdings," the Foreign Emoluments Clause, and any other documents relating to potential conflicts of interest.

The House Judiciary Committee, on which Nadler is the second-most senior member, is considering the resolution on Tuesday. As the Washington Post explained:

Under House rules, a resolution of inquiry is referred to a committee, which has 14 legislative days to debate and vote on whether how it should be reported to the floor. If the committee does not take action in that 14-day span, the measure can be called up on the House floor for a debate and vote.

"But rejection by the Judiciary panel all but assures the measure will never see a floor vote," Politico also noted last week.

According to Nadler, having the committee (which is expected to kill it) consider the resolution rather than the full chamber--and having them do so on Tuesday--is "an act of cowardice."

"House Republicans chose to consider this resolution in committee--as opposed to allowing debate on the House floor--because they would prefer that only a few of their safest members be forced to take a vote on this matter. The Majority must decide between conducting basic oversight of President Trump, on the one hand, or being complicit in potential misdeeds by Trump and his associates, on the other," he said in a statement Friday.

And, given the extensive media coverage that will come on Tuesday to cover Trump's first address to a joint Congress, Nadler said the scheduling is "an obvious attempt to bury our debate."

He referred to the resolution as a "simple request for information," adding: "Members of Congress have an obligation to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch."

The Loyal Opposition, an anti-Trump group inspired by the Indivisible Guide, is urging people to call the committee members and urge support for the resolution of inquiry.

The Indivisible Guide also issued a series of tweets Monday morning about the resolution, and similarly encouraged people to tell their congressmen to add their support for the measure.