Justice minister, DGA chief discuss partnership to boost digital judicial services    Netanyahu does not rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders    US farmers are being squeezed – and it's testing their deep loyalty to Trump    Romania condemns 'irresponsible' Moscow after Russian drone breaches its airspace    Kirk's assassination is forcing US politicians to make difficult choices about their safety    India players refused handshakes, says Pakistan coach    Final stage of Spanish Vuelta cycling race abandoned after disruption by pro-Palestine protesters    Mané fires Al Nassr past Al Kholood to keep perfect start as Ronaldo honored    Lacazette brace earns NEOM SC first Saudi Pro League win    Adolescence star Owen Cooper makes Emmys history at 15    Saudi liquidity grows 8.4%, reaching SR3.1 trillion in July 2025    Over 434,000 people acquire first aid skills during nationwide health campaign    Saudi Arabia's legislative advancement highlighted at International Conference on Judicial Training    Sudden swerving among 3 major causes of accidents in Riyadh in 2024    Princess Haifa emphasizes pivotal Saudi role in shaping future of tourism    Sahm Capital names Saudi Olympian Fayik Abdi as brand ambassador    SR9000 fine for copyright infringement using AI    King Charles and Prince Harry finally reunite after 19 months apart    Anastacia: Arnold Schwarzenegger made me sing Whatta Man 12 times    Thousands pay their last respects to Giorgio Armani, private funeral on Monday    The key to happiness    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Top Republicans join calls for Flynn's Russia contacts probe
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 02 - 2017

The Republicans' ardor for investigations and oversight, on display throughout the Obama administration, has cooled off considerably with Donald Trump in the White House.
Each day seems to bring a new headache or near-crisis from Trump, the latest being the departure of his national security adviser under questionable circumstances involving Russia.
Yet if there is a line too far, at which point Republicans will feel duty-bound to call for an independent investigation of their president or his administration, Trump hasn't crossed it yet.
Democrats are clamoring for a full-scale probe of the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, including demanding to know what Trump knew, and when, about Flynn's pre-inauguration conversations with a Russian ambassador about US sanctions. White House press secretary Sean Spicer disclosed that Trump was told in late January that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about those conversations.
Rather than go along with Democrats' call for an independent outside investigation, Senate Republicans insisted on Tuesday that the Intelligence Committee could look at the circumstances as part of an existing probe into Russia's interference in the presidential election.
"The Intelligence Committee is already looking at Russian involvement in our election and they have broad jurisdiction over the intel community writ large and they can look at whatever they choose to," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., adding that "it's highly likely they'd want to take a look at this episode as well."
The intelligence panel's chairman, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, told reporters that "aggressive" oversight would continue "privately. We don't do that in public."
House Republicans were even less interested, with some shrugging off Democrats' calls for an investigation entirely.
Rep. Devin Nunes of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that the "real crime" is how Flynn's phone conversations were leaked, echoing a complaint Trump himself made over Twitter.
"I think the situation has taken care of itself" in light of Flynn's resignation, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told reporters. That's a far different stance toward potential wrongdoing by the executive branch than Chaffetz took last year, when House Republicans issued more than 70 letters and subpoenas aimed at investigating Democrat Hillary Clinton over a period of less than three months after the FBI announced criminal charges weren't warranted related to her use of a private email server as secretary of state.
Chaffetz did turn his attention to a different Trump administration matter later Tuesday, sending a letter to the White House seeking information about Trump's discussion of a North Korea missile launch while dining al fresco with the Japanese prime minister at a resort in Florida.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., went so far as to counsel publicly against spending too much time investigating the White House, saying that doing so could only be counterproductive at a moment when the GOP faces a daunting legislative agenda on Capitol Hill.
"I just don't think it's useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party," Paul said in an appearance on Fox News Radio's "Kilmeade and Friends." "We'll never even get started with doing the things we need to do like repealing Obamacare if we're spending our whole time having Republicans investigate Republicans. I think it makes no sense."
The relatively hands-off stance of the GOP toward the Trump White House angers Democrats, who are powerless to do much except fume from the minority in both chambers of Congress. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.