House Natural Resources Committee Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Democratic effort to subpoena President Donald Trump’s son and other officials over a contentious, multimillion-dollar rare earths deal.
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations voted 5-2 along party lines to thwart members from subpoenaing Donald Trump Jr., a Pentagon official and an executive from Vulcan Elements, which has denied wrongdoing.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, the subcommittee’s chair, and four of his colleagues voted against the move, while Democratic Reps. Maxine Dexter of Oregon, the subcommittee’s ranking member, and Yassamin Ansari of Arizona pushed for the subpoenas.
“Donald Trump Jr. must be made to answer whether the president’s son illegally profited from his father’s presidency,” Dexter said.
