Press Releases

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, joined Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) and 34 Members of Congress in introducing a Congressional Resolution seeking an inquiry into whether the House of Representatives should impeach Attorney General William P. Barr.

"From the day he was sworn in, Attorney General Barr has perhaps done more than any other official in this Administration to enable, encourage, and execute the criminal enterprise Donald Trump oversees from behind the Resolute Desk," said Connolly. "He has brazenly perverted the course of American justice, tarnished the once-esteemed reputation of the Department of Justice, and has repeatedly lied to the American public without hesitation. He has, without a doubt, disqualified himself from public service. For the sake of the rule of law, the House of Representatives has no choice but to begin an inquiry into his impeachment."

The resolution specifies instances of Barr’s abuse of office at the behest of President Trump, including his use of pretextual antitrust investigations against industries he disfavors; withholding subpoenaed information, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s full report; failing to comply with legitimate subpoenas issued by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform; and prohibiting the referral of an intelligence Community whistleblower complaint to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

The resolution also states that Barr eroded confidence in the judicial system by questioning the legitimacy of Department of Justice investigations into the 2016 Presidential election; misleading Congress and the public about the Mueller report; soliciting foreign assistance about the origins and integrity of the investigation into foreign influence in the 2016 election; and has obstructed justice by interfering in specific cases that affect the President, his family, friends or interests.

See the entire resolution here.

The measure calls upon the House Judiciary Committee to inquire into these matters under the same House rules applied during the impeachment inquiry into President Trump last year.

The resolution is cosponsored by the following members of Congress: Joyce Beatty (OH-3), Don Beyer (VA-08), Earl Blumenhauer (OR-03), Andre Carson (IN-07), David Cicilline (RI-01), Lacy Clay (MO-01), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Danny Davis (IL-07), Adriano Esplillat  (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Al Green (TX-09), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Joe Kennedy  (MA-04), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Alan  Lowenthal (CA-47), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Richard Neal (MA-01), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Bobby Rush (IL-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Mark Takano (CA-41), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Nydia M.  Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), John Yarmuth (KY-03).