Bernie Sanders cancels campaign events after being hospitalized for blocked artery – live – The Guardian

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee, delivered a stern warning to the White House: attempts to “stonewall” the impeachment inquiry “will be considered further evidence of obstruction of justice”.

“We’re not fooling around here,” Schiff said, speaking at an unusually crowded press conference.

Pelosi said Trump’s threats against the whistleblower and officials who spoke with the whistleblower are “dangerous”.

The whistleblower has the right under statue to remain anonymous and we will do everything in our power to make sure that that whistleblower is protected,” Schiff said.

He said Trump’s attacks were engaging in “a blatant effort to intimidate witnesses, it’s an incitement of violence. I would hope that we’re starting to see members of both parties speaking out against attacking this Whistleblower and others that have pertinent information.”

“The president probably doesn’t realize how dangerous his statement is,” Pelosi added.

Schiff outlined the actions taken by the three key committees leading the impeachment inquiry. He said the chairman expect Rudy Giuliani to comply with the subpoena they issued on Monday. He said they are “deeply concerned about Secretary Pompeo’s effort now to potentially interfere with witnesses whose testimony is needed before our committee.”

Congressman Elijah Cummings, the chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, notified the panel on Wednesday of his intention to subpoena the White House if it did not comply by Friday with a request for documents related to Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukrianian leaders to investigate Biden.

“I do not take this step lightly,” Cummings said in a statement. “Over the past several weeks, the committees tried several times to obtain voluntary compliance with our requests for documents, but the White House has refused to engage with — or even respond to — the committees.”

Kurt Volker, the former US special envoy to Ukraine, who resigned from his post last week, is due to appear before the committee on Thursday.

Next week, Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine who was ousted from her post in May, will also sit for a joint deposition with the committees.

“We’re very busy,” Schiff said. “We are proceeding deliberately but at the same time we feel a real sense of urgency here.”

Both defended the inquiry against attacks by Republicans, some of who have conceded that it was problematic but does not amount to impeachment.

Pelosi said Trump’s behavior on the call, which Democrats allege amounts to an attempt by a president to solicit foreign intervention in a US election, is “absolutely” serious enough to be an impeachable offense. She says he undermined national security, his oath of office and the US Constitution.

“It’s hard to imagine a set of circumstances that would have alarmed the Founders more than what’s on that call,” Schiff said. “It’s hard to imagine a more corrupt course of conduct.”