正在播放 马萨诸塞州民主党众议员斯蒂芬·林奇周三回击了白宫发出的威胁，即如果民主党人计划调查总统特朗普及其政府，白宫将对他们展开调查。林奇对政府律师说：“放马过来吧，兄弟。”林奇是众议院监督委员会成员，他对CNN的帕梅拉·布朗说：“我只是觉得我们完全有条件做好我们的工作。他们说的是：‘别做我们的工作。别做监督。别对政府行政进行制约。’”这位波士顿本地人说，国会通过法律，并指责特朗普“习惯性地”违反这些法律。
NOW PLAYING Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) on Wednesday clapped back at the White House’s threat to investigate Democrats if they plan to probe President Trump and his administration, telling administration lawyers to “Come at me, bro.”“I just think we are so well situated to do our jobs. What they’re saying is: ‘Don’t do our jobs. Don’t do oversight. Don’t do check on the administration of the government,'” Lynch, a member of the House Oversight Committee, told CNN’s Pamela Brown. The Boston native said that Congress passes laws and accused Trump of “habitually” violating those laws.
林奇继续说：“所以，我们相信我们有权，而且宪法明确赋予我们权力，确保总统遵守法律。这很基本，所以这是核心职能……在这方面我代表主席发言，我确信。”白宫法律顾问威尔·沙夫周一写信给即将上任的众议院监督委员会主席、加州民主党人罗伯特·加西亚，称“滥用威胁和关于不分青红皂白发出传票的公开声明”据称意在“骚扰和扩张权力，而不是推进任何合法的立法目的”。
“So, we believe we have the right and we have been empowered expressly in the Constitution to make sure the president obeys the law,” Lynch continued. “This is pretty basic, and so that’s the core function … and I speak on behalf of the chairman in this respect, I’m sure.”White House counsel Will Scharf wrote to incoming House Oversight Chair Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) on Monday that “abusive threats and public statements about the indiscriminate issuance of subpoenas” are allegedly intended to “harass and aggrandize, rather than to advance any legitimate legislative end.”
他声称，任何传票如果意图剥夺“公民的宪法权利和特权”，就可能构成犯罪，这本身就可能“值得进一步调查”。加西亚周三对记者声称，特朗普“显然在隐瞒什么”，并表示监督委员会的民主党人不会被吓倒。
He asserted that any subpoenas could be criminal if they intend to deprive “citizens of their constitutional rights and privileges,” which could in of themselves could “warrant further investigation.”Garcia claimed to reporters on Wednesday that Trump is “clearly hiding something” and said Oversight Democrats will not be intimidated.
加西亚说：“总统特朗普或白宫法律顾问想给我发威胁信——当然，他在信中广泛威胁其他国会议员——这种想法不仅不符合宪法，而且不会阻止重要的工作。”
“This idea that President Trump or the White House counsel want to send threatening letters to myself –– in which, of course, he threatens other members of Congress broadly –– is not only not constitutional, but it’s not going to stop the important work,” Garcia said.
这位加州民主党人还说，选民选择问责，以对抗据称导致全国物价居高不下的腐败，以及总统议程的其他方面，比如他的驱逐议程。
The California Democrat added that voters chose accountability against alleged corruption that has kept prices high nationwide, as well as against other aspects of the president’s agenda like his deportation agenda.
其他议员对沙夫的警告进行了回击。将在新一届国会中担任众议院司法委员会主席的众议员杰米·拉斯金（民主党-马里兰州）对MeidasTouch表示，“政府不能因为人们以政府官员不喜欢的方式行使第一修正案权利就恐吓他们，这太荒谬了。”
Other lawmakers clapped back at Scharf’s warning. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who will serve as the chair of the House Judiciary Committee in the new Congress, told MeidasTouch that the “government cannot intimidate people because they exercise their First Amendment rights in a way that government officials don’t like, that is ridiculous.”
他说，议员们将履行宪法赋予的职责，“作为政府的首要分支，对整个政府以及经济和社会中发生的其他事情开展监督行动”。
He said lawmakers will be exercising their constitutional duties “as the preeminent branch of government to conduct oversight operations of the entire government, as well as the economy and other things happening in society.”
“这就是他们的做法，这是一种绝望之举，”众议员亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯（民主党-纽约州）也表示。“他们追查任何让他们感到受到威胁的人，我们不应该害怕他们。我们不应该上钩，也不应该回应他们。”民主党人已经就特朗普及其家人涉嫌腐败启动了多项调查，但沙夫表示，议员们需要为任何传票提供合法的立法目的作为支撑。
“This is what they do, this is an act of desperation,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also“They are going after whoever they feel intimidated by, and we should not be afraid of them. We shouldn’t take the bait and we shouldn’t respond to them.”Democrats have already launched several probes into alleged corruption in connection with Trump and his family, but Scharf said lawmakers need a legitimate legislative purpose underpinning any subpoena.
这一最新交锋发生之前，民主党人近两年来一直指责特朗普政府不当使用权力杠杆，特别是通过司法部来调查被视为总统对手的人。
The latest back-and-forth comes after almost two years of Democrats accusing the Trump administration of improperly using levers of power, specifically via the Department of Justice, to investigate perceived foes of the president.