Schakowsky Votes to Hold Attorney General and Commerce Secretary in Contempt

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip, today voted in favor of a resolution to hold Attorney General Barr and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in contempt. She issued the following statement after the resolution passed 230-198:

“Today, I voted yet again to hold this Administration accountable for its blatant refusal to comply with Congressional subpoenas. This time it is Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross obstructing the Committee on Oversight and Reform’s investigation into their attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. While the Administration originally claimed that it was seeking to add the question to help the Department of Justice enforce the Voting Rights Act, newly uncovered documents and statements made by President Trump show this is far from true. It has become clear that the citizenship question is yet another effort to spark fear in our immigrant communities and an attempt by this corrupt Administration to gerrymander legislative districts in racist and unconstitutional ways.

“Last month, the Committee voted on a bipartisan basis to hold Attorney General Barr and Secretary Ross in contempt of Congress for defying the Committee’s bipartisan subpoenas for documents. Since then, the Supreme Court ruled that the reasoning originally provided by the Administration was not only “contrived” and a “pretext,” but also illegal. And still, the Attorney General and Secretary of Commerce refuse to act in good faith and cooperate. This is why the House voted today to hold them in contempt and why we must go to court to enforce the Oversight Committee’s subpoenas. Congress, not the Executive branch, has the Constitutional authority over the Census. I will not stop fighting until the Administration turns over the documents relating to the 2020 Census and it is held accountable for its attacks on our democracy.”