Mnuchin refuses to testify before House Ways and Means Committee about shutdown.

[spanone]

who the fuck do these people think they are?


Mnuchin refuses to testify at hearing on shutdown impacts

The Treasury Department is refusing to have department secretary Steven Mnuchin testify before the House Ways and Means Committee next week, after the Democratic chairman of the tax-writing panel requested that he speak at a hearing about the government shutdown's impact on the department.

In a letter Thursday to Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Treasury deputy assistant secretary Jennifer Bang said that instead of Mnuchin, the department is offering testimony from senior Treasury and IRS officials "who are most knowledgeable concerning the lapse plans now in place for the Department and its bureaus."

Neal on Wednesday sent a letter inviting Mnuchin to testify about the partial government shutdown's impact on Treasury and taxpayers. Treasury, which houses the IRS, is one of the departments whose funding has lapsed.

Treasury on Tuesday released a shutdown contingency plan for the IRS for the tax-filing season, under which more than half of the IRS employees will be working during the filing period. But Democrats continue to have questions about how the upcoming tax-filing season will work during the shutdown.

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/425958-mnuchin-refuses-to-testify-at-hearing-on-shutdown-impacts

[left_of_center]

1. Can he refuse?

Congress can force him, can’t they?

[gratuitous]

6. It usually begins with a letter request

Mnuchin has declined to appear pursuant to the letter. Congress has the option to subpoena his appearance, but that's kind of a last resort thing. For now, it just looks like Mnuchin has something to hide (tops on my list, his utter ignorance of the answers to the questions he's likely to be asked).

The committee will probably go through the "most knowledgeable" folks at Treasury first, then ask Mnuchin again to fill in information that only the Secretary can provide. That's when the conflict will become more pointed.

[left_of_center]

8. Thanks! Nt

[Duppers]

19. Yes, subpoena his tax-payer-$-wasting ass!

The whole Trump cabinet was flaunting their access to budget money and wasting it on their private luxuries.

[NurseJackie]

2. Can he be jailed for contempt?

[NightWatcher]

3. Treasury won't comment about shutdown effects? How is this not crashing the Markets?

From top to bottom the government is full of ignorant and terrible ideology. How are we not crashing right now?

I really wish the repukes in Senate would do their jobs and act to defend the Constitution. They are actively being passive and letting this happen.

[kentuck]

4. What the hell is he trying to prove?

Or just being a distraction?

[bullwinkle428]

5. "NANCY HURT MY FEELINGS LAST WEEK!!"

He was practically blubbering to the press after she roasted him following his testimony over lifting sanctions on some Russian companies.

[BSdetect]

7. They will go to any length to obstruct and avoid responsibility

No concern for millions of innocent people being impacted.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. The real truth: He's a no-nothing leech.

[bdamomma]

10. When Mnuchin

was asked about lifting sanctions he commented to the Committee you have to trust the administration/WH, now of course he is doing the bidding for tRump and Putin too.

[karynnj]

11. Imagine the result if in 2012/2013, Secretary of State Clinton refused to testify on Benghazi --

offering instead people who were lower in the organization and more directly involved. I'm sure the House Republicans would have been completely ok with this.

[Duppers]

20. Yes, all hell would've broken out. nt

[OnDoutside]

12. I suspect that he knows he'll be asked about Deripaska ?

[C_U_L8R]

13. Send a Marshall to his house and drag his ass in.

[watoos]

14. I'm filing my taxes late this year,

hopefully the shutdown will be over by April 15th?

[Equinox Moon]

15. Good thing congress has subpoena power!

[turbinetree]

16. Contempt of Congress does not go to well when you have a body of men and woman that uphold

the rule of law.........................not like the last bunch, that was giving these jerks a free ride......................to break the rule of law, like its was just fine and dandy to have a criminal enterprise.....................

Hey, Mnuchin you can run and you can try to hide, you can even resign..................but we are coming.................you have some explaining to do.....................like that trip to Fort Knox to watch the solar eclipse at tax payers expense...............

[Duppers]

21. 👍👍

[2naSalit]

17. Well...

there's always a charge of contempt to help compel him to comply.

[demmiblue]

18. ...

[allgood33]

22. Trumpians are good at teaching our children how to disrespect our government and laws.

He and his administration are such bad examples for our children. Hillary was right again.