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House Committee Votes to Hold Barr, Ross in Contempt

Ken Bredemeier

   A day after the U.S. House passed a resolution authorizing its
   committees to take the Trump administration to court and pursue
   criminal contempt cases to enforce their subpoenas, the House Oversight
   Committee took the next step.

   The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday voted in favor of
   holdingAttorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross
   in contempt of Congress because of the Trump administration's refusal
   to comply withthe committee's subpoena for information about why a U.S.
   citizenship question was added to the 2020 census.

   Republican Rep. JustinAmashof Michigan, a vocal supporter of impeaching
   U.S. President Donald Trump, voted with Democrats.

   Trump claimed executive privilege Wednesday in refusingto hand over
   documents to Democratic lawmakers investigating the census question.

   "I think it's ridiculous that we would have a census without asking"
   about citizenship, Trump told reporters at the White House.

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