Nadler: ‘We are now in a constitutional crisis’

After voting to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress Wednesday, House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) declared that the nation is in a “constitutional crisis” as the Trump administration digs in against Democrats’ attempts at congressional oversight.

“We’ve talked for a long time about approaching a Constitutional crisis. We are now in it,” Nadler said in an afternoon press conference. 

“Now is the time of testing whether we can keep a republic, or whether this republic is destined to change into a different, more tyrannical form of government,” he added “We must resist this.”

NADLER: “We’ve talked for a long time about approaching a constitutional crisis. We’re now in it… Now is the time of testing whether we can keep a republic, or whether this republic is destined to change into a different, more tyrannical form of govt. We must resist this.” pic.twitter.com/8GB24XUxq7

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 8, 2019

{mosads}Nadler’s Judiciary panel voted to hold Barr in contempt for failing to produce an un-redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report and its underlying evidence. The vote came the same day that President Trump moved to exert executive privilege over the report, which was released in redacted form last month.

Nadler’s statements echo similar comments he made Wednesday morning before the House panel voted.

“The phrase constitutional crisis has been overused, but certainly,” he said Wednesday morning, according to CNN. “Certainly, it’s a constitutional crisis, although I don’t like to use that phrase because it’s been used for far less dangerous situations.”

“We are in one because the president is disobeying the law, is refusing all information to Congress,” he added.