House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Monday that Attorney General William Barr would be “obstructing Congress” if he fails to appear before the House Judiciary Committee this week, according to The Associated Press.
Barr is set to testify Thursday about special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings, but has clashed with committee leadership on whether he will respond to a round of questioning from staffers.
{mosads}In response, Pelosi said Barr cannot “tell the committee how to conduct its interviews,” according to the AP.
“The attorney general of the United States is not the president’s personal lawyer, and he should act as the attorney general of the United States and honor his responsibilities,” she said.
On Sunday, Barr warned House Democrats that he might not appear before the panel if they did not change the proposed format for the hearing.
“The Attorney General agreed to appear before Congress. Therefore, Members of Congress should be the ones doing the questioning,” Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Sunday. “He remains happy to engage with Members on their questions regarding the Mueller report.”
Mueller’s report was released in redacted form April 19, but House Democrats have subpoenaed the Justice Department for the full, unredacted version and contributing evidence. Democrats have accused Barr of misrepresenting the findings of the Mueller report in his summary of the report to lawmakers, and in remarks at a press conference ahead of the report’s release.
Pelosi’s comments echoed those of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who said Sunday, “The witness is not going to tell the committee how to conduct its hearing, period.”
Nadler also threatened to subpoena Barr and “use whatever means we can to enforce the subpoena” if the attorney general refuses to show.