Blocked

The new House leadership has been in place since January 3. Most committees are already operating and active with members from both parties seated and hard at work.

Except the House Intelligence Committee. This is the critically important committee that should be investigating Donald Trump, his administration, his businesses, and his activities.

But the committee can't meet. The Democratic leadership has filled all the seats for the Democratic majority. They're ready to go.

The Republicans, however, have seated no members on the committee. Hence, the committee cannot meet. It's just sitting idle (details here).

Worse, some critical evidence that should already have been passed from the committee to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who's investigating Trump and associates, cannot leave Capitol Hill with the committee in mothballs like this.

When the House was Republican-controlled, during the first two years of the Trump presidency, the House Intelligence Committee went out of its way to provide cover for the White House. Now that Democrats are in the majority, however, the GOP has apparently decided the only way to keep protecting the President is by their dereliction of duty.

Hopefully the House leadership can clear up this logjam and soon. Justice should be be taken hostage like this, and the Republicans should not be allowed to get away with it.