The White House has rejected an invitation from the Democratic chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for senior adviser Stephen Miller to testify on the administration’s immigration policies.
“In accordance with long-standing precedent, we respectfully decline the invitation to make Mr. Miller available for testimony before the committee,” White House Counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in a letter to the panel, obtained by ABC News.
Mr. Cipollone said the precedent for White House staff to decline invitations to testify before congressional committees “has been consistently adhered to by administrations of both political parties and is based on clearly established constitutional doctrines.”
Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland Democrat, requested that Mr. Miller appear before the committee to explain the administration’s policies for dealing with the border crisis, including a proposal floated by President Trump to move some illegal immigrants apprehended at the border to sanctuary cities.
The White House cited Justice Department guidance that says the president’s top advisers are immune from the congressional testimony. The rejection comes as Mr. Trump is digging in against a broad array of subpoenas from House Democrats delving into his administration’s policies and his business dealings.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.