House holds Barr, Ross in criminal contempt, as GOP decries ‘more political theater’

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to hold Attorney General Bill Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt, saying they were stonewalling congressional probes into the Trump administration’s efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

The vote was one of a series of rapid-fire developments to rock the House, coming less than an hour after a revived effort to impeach President Trump was effectively killed. And on Tuesday, a chaotic and historic floor fight all but derailed Democrats’ resolution to present a unified front and condemn President Trump’s “racist” remarks over the weekend.

The vote to hold Barr and Ross in criminal contempt was 230-198, with 4 Democrats and all Republicans voting no. Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, now an independent after leaving the Republican Party, voted yes.

Ross issued a fiery statement immediately after the vote, charging that House Democrats “never sought to have a productive relationship with the Trump Administration.”

“Today’s PR stunt further demonstrates their unending quest to generate headlines instead of operating in good faith with our Department,” Ross said. “Preferring to play political games rather than help lead the country, they have made every attempt to ascribe evil motivations to everyday functions of government.”

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