House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Wednesday testimony “the crossing of a threshold” but made no call for the impeachment inquiry that proponents were hoping his appearance would trigger.
Pelosi briefed reporters about the hearings that many critics say fizzled for Democrats, thanks to Mueller’s halting and sometimes uncertain testimony about his 448-page report about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Pelosi made no mention of impeachment or Mueller’s performance, but instead promoted the House oversight investigations into President Trump’s finances, much of which has been moved to the courts.
Pelosi said she is waiting to see the results of subpoenas issued by House lawmakers that are tangled up in the courts, and maintained that Democrats need that information to make a determination about impeachment. She also said Democrats need to get the information from the subpoenas in order to made a decision on impeachment “with the strongest possible hand,” adding, “That’s all I’m going to say on the subject.”
Pelosi said Mueller’s testimony “affirmed in public what the Mueller report put forth” and that “it is a crossing of a threshold in terms of the public awareness of what happens and how it conforms to the law or not.”
Democratic Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, who is chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said the hearings “painted a picture [of the report] for America.”
“It was a giant statement in making sure the American people got a picture of all of this and will hopefully look toward the future and say we’re not going to have this,” he said.
Democrats huddled in the basement of the Capitol following the hearing, and Pelosi told lawmakers to remain focused on legislative achievements they have accomplished since taking the majority in January.
Pelosi accused the Trump administration of “a cover-up” and said House investigations would reveal how they “have jeopardized our national security.”
“Today was very important,” she added.
