With Jeff Sessions gone as Attorney General and Matt Whitaker positioned as acting AG, one has to wonder how much longer Mueller will be able to carry on his investigation unhindered. It may be the Special Counsel will have to pass his baton over to the House. But will  House Democrats vigorously investigate?

This article from Vox, written by Ezra Klien, correctly points out that because Democrats took the House but not the Senate, they will have trouble passing legislation into law. Much of what power is left to them is in the  investigation of President Trump. With their new found majority, Democrats are taking over vital investigative committees in the House. New York Democrat Nita Lowey, will chair the Appropriations Committee, and has “a laundry list of potential areas for inquiry. . . . [including the] family separation policy and hurricane relief in Puerto Rico.” California Rep. Adam Schiff will lead the House Intelligence Committee, which has already been engaged in the Trump investigation.

However, Democrats may be reluctant to shift their focus to investigation. Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader, has said that any investigations will be “strategic” aimed at “seek[ing] the truth.” And Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California, expressed a similar sentiment, stating: “if Mueller sends us an exploding bomb, we may have an obligation to deal with that. But absent that, I don’t think the country will be on board with impeachment, and nor should we.” She feels that focusing on the investigation will distract from what “really matters to people.” It may be Democrats are unwilling to focus their energy of uncovering a truth that, even if it leads to impeachment in the House, will fail to cause removal by the Senate.

J. Scott Applewhite