Democrats Pressure Republican Senate to Join Ukraine Inquiry - The New York Times

"This is the type of political pressure Democrats should be engaging in, but on a much wider scale.

'WASHINGTON — The top Senate Democrat on Monday called on Senate Republicans to join Democrats in demanding that the administration furnish details about explosive allegations that President Trump pressured a foreign leader to help produce damaging information on a leading political rival.

Seeking to apply political pressure to Republicans who have so far been unwilling to criticize Mr. Trump, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, warned that Republicans would be complicit in Mr. Trump’s actions if they failed to demand that the White House release a transcript of a call between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, and subpoena a related whistle-blower complaint.

Doing otherwise, Mr. Schumer wrote in a letter to Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, would show Republicans to be “silent and submissive, shying away from this institution’s constitutional obligation to conduct oversight.”

“This is a whistle-blower complaint that has been labeled ‘urgent’ and ‘credible’ not by Democrats, but by a senior-level Trump appointee,” Mr. Schumer wrote. “It is the Senate’s duty to take this national security matter seriously and to take action now.”

Mr. Schumer made his call as pressure was building on Democrats to move more aggressively toward impeaching Mr. Trump over the new revelations, and his administration’s refusal to disclose the whistle-blower complaint about them, as required by law.

Mr. Schumer called on Mr. McConnell and relevant Senate committee chairmen to hold hearings with the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, who has said he is not required to hand over the complaint; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; and Russell Vought, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget. He also asked for an investigation to determine why the Trump administration had temporarily withheld $250 million in military aid from Ukraine this summer, at the same time that Mr. Trump and his personal lawyer were reportedly making demands that the country investigate Joseph R. Biden Jr., the former vice president."

Democrats Pressure Republican Senate to Join Ukraine Inquiry - The New York Times