Senate Democrats Release New Compilation of Over 100 Oversight Letters President Trump Refuses to Answer

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Democratic Policy and Communications Committee today released a compilation of over 100 oversight letters the Trump Administration has refused to answer in response to congressional inquiries sent since January of this year.  This release follows reports that the Trump Administration instructed federal agencies to ignore Democratic oversight requests.  It also follows an opinion released by the Department of Justice that reverses previous Executive Branch policy and argues individual Members of Congress do not have the authority to conduct oversight. 

“Since President Trump has taken office, his Administration has failed to respond to over 100 critical request for information on issues ranging from national security to health care to the economy,” said Senator Stabenow, Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communication Committee.  “Senators from both parties have a Constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight and ensure the Executive Branch is working on behalf of the American people. The White House should reverse its directive and the Trump Administration should immediately respond to requests for information from all Senators.”

“President Trump and his Administration have broken so many promises, hired so many swamp creatures, and are playing so fast and loose with ethics rules, that it’s no surprise that they would try to prevent Congress from getting the information we need to make sure government is working for the people we represent,” said Senator Murray.  “President Trump may like his ‘alternative facts’ to be the only ones out there, but we are going to keep working to get actual facts and information and to hold this Administration accountable for the ways they are hurting students, women, families, and the economy.”

“This Trump policy of stonewalling the essential oversight responsibilities of the Congress<span style="font-size:11.5pt; font-family:" helvetica",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" new="" roman";="" color:red"=""> is a disgrace and it is deeply undemocratic,” said Senator Wyden. “Congress asks questions directly on behalf of the people we represent, and the administration is supposed to work on behalf of those people, too. This is not the behavior of a government that sees itself as answerable to the people.”

“Congress has a constitutional duty to hold the Executive Branch accountable.  The American people expect Congress to perform that duty,” said Senator Whitehouse. “That duty means collecting information and asking tough questions, whether the Trump Administration likes it or not.  The White House needs to end the stonewalling and respond to Americans’ elected representatives.” ?

“After conducting oversight and investigations in both Republican and Democratic administrations, I rate the Trump administration as the most unresponsive in recent memory,” said Senator Markey. “When the Trump administration refuses to respond to Senators’ letters and displays this kind of disdain for the critical role Congress plays in oversight, the public loses confidence in the federal government. I urge the White House to stop its obstruction and provide answers to questions that the American people deserve to know.” 

Last month, Senate Democratic leaders and top committee members raised concerns with President Trump that his Administration was refusing requests for information from Democratic members of Congress and urged him to clarify that he would not refuse oversight requests from Congress. The Senators also made clear that any attempts to obstruct transparency, accountability, and information flow on a partisan basis would be unacceptable. 

The full list of unanswered congressional inquiries may be found below and a link is available here:

1. A January 25, 2017 letter from thirteen Senators to President Trump decrying reports of instructions of a gag order provided to all federal agencies to silence communications with the public and members of Congress.
2. A January 26, 2017 letter from seven Senators to President Trump asking the President to read the Intelligence Committee’s 2014 torture report and disseminate the report within the executive branch.
3. A January 26, 2017 letter from five Senators to President Trump calling for the reversal and questions regarding the suspension of all grants and contracts at the Environmental Protection Agency.
4. A January 27, 2017 letter from six Senators to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest in her public ethics agreement, including investments in higher education companies.
5. A January 30, 2017 letter from ten Senators to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calling on him to recuse himself from all matters related to ExxonMobil.
6. A January 30, 2017 letter from nine Senators to Acting Attorney General Sally Yates with questions on the Department of Justice’s review of executive orders and memoranda being issued by the Trump Administration.
7. A January 30, 2017 letter from eight Senators to Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff, M.D. with questions on how the federal hiring freeze will impact the agency.
8. A January 31, 2017 letter from seven Senators to President Trump requesting that the agencies, which provide essential services to Native peoples (in particular the Indian Health Service and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs), be exempt from the hiring freeze and allowed to continue to hire staff for all core programs.
9. A February 1, 2017 letter from six Senators to Senior White House Advisor Jason Botel and Acting Secretary of Education Phil Rosenfelt expressing concerns over President Trump’s employment decisions at the Department of Education.
10. A February 2, 2017 letter from nine Senators to President Trump outlining concerns with how the federal employee hiring freeze would negatively impact trade enforcement. 
11. A February 3, 2017 letter from Senators Whitehouse and Udall to President Trump asking for a full membership list of the Trump Organization’s Mar-a-lago club.
12. A February 3, 2017 letter from six Senators to Secretary of Defense James Mattis express concern with a potential Executive Order that would revoke the bans on Central Intelligence Agency “black site” detention facilities and interrogation techniques that are not in the U.S. Army Field Manual.
13. A February 3, 2017 letter from Senators Warren and Baldwin to National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn calling on him to recuse himself from any decisions related to Goldman Sachs in light of a $284 million severance package from his previous employer.
14. A February 7, 2017 letter from five Senators to President Trump requesting that the President follow the appropriate procedures required for tribal consultation, environmental law, and due process with regard to approving the Dakota Access Pipeline.
15. A February 8, 2017 letter from twenty-two Senators to Representative Tom Price, Health and Human Services Secretary Designee, requesting his answers to questions and concerns regarding President Trump’s Muslim Ban.
16. A February 9, 2017 letter from six Senators to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly with questions concerning the President’s executive order that strips immigrants of Privacy Act protections.
17. A February 9, 2017 letter from Senators Carper and McCaskill to Secretary of Defense James Mattis regarding security concerns stemming from President Trump’s reported use of his personal, unofficial smartphone.
18. A February 13, 2017 letter from seven Senators to White House Counsel Don McGahn requesting answers regarding what role oil refining executive Carl Icahn is playing in the White House and how he is involved in Environmental Protection Agency regulations such as the Renewable Fuel Standard, which will directly impact his business. 
19. Three February 14, 2017 letter<span style="" georgia",serif;="" color:windowtext"="">s from Senator Warren to Acting Secretary of Labor Edward Hugler, Director of the national Economic Council Gary Cohn and Financial Services Roundtable Chief Executive Officer Tim Pawlenty with questions regarding reports that financial services industry lobbyists reviewed President Trump's executive memorandum on the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule. (Pawlenty has responded but Hugler and Cohn have not).
20. A February 14, 2017 letter from eleven Senators to Attorney General Jeff Sessions expressing concern and raising questions about allegations that the Trump campaign, transition team and members of the Administration may have colluded with the Russian government.
21. A February 16, 2017 letter from five Senators to President Trump requesting that he not remove Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray from his position.  
22. A February 16, 2017 letter from nine Senators to White House Counsel Don McGahn requesting the preservation of documents related to communication between Russia and all Trump officials and associates, as well as all documents related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
23. A February 16, 2017 letter from nine Senators to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey calling for the preservation of documents related to communication between Russia and all Trump officials and associates, as well as all documents related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
24. A February 16, 2017 letter from nine Senators to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking that he recuse himself from any Justice Department investigations into Trump-Russia communications and Russian interference in the 2016 election.
25. A February 16, 2017 letter from nine Senators to Federal Bureau of Investigations Director James Comey requesting that he preserve all documents related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
26. A February 17, 2017 letter from Senators Murray and Wyden to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price requesting information regarding the decision to eliminate basic information and resources on Healthcare.gov, the website that millions of Americans use to understand, shop for, and purchase health insurance coverage. 
27. A February 21, 2017 letter from seven Senators to Acting Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Catherine McCabe submitting questions regarding oil executive Carl Icahn’s involvement in the Trump White House into the agency’s formal notice and comment process.
28. A February 22, 2017 letter from three Senate Democrats to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner John Koskinen questioning the legality of Secretary Tillerson’s compensation arrangement to ensure it is compliant with current tax law.
29. A February 22, 2017 letter from Senator Murray to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos requesting clarification on her comments criticizing the motivations of employees of the Department of Education and claiming that some employees could be trying to “subvert the mission” of the Department.
30. A February 24, 2017 letter from Senator Casey to the Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price requesting information regarding the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act.
31. A February 24, 2017 letter from Senator Booker to Commerce Secretary Nominee Wilbur Ross requesting information regarding his financial ties to major Russian investors in the Bank of Cyprus.
32. A February 24, 2017 letter from Senators Cardin, Feinstein and Reed to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson requesting information regarding the Chinese government’s decision to grant trademarks to the President Trump.
33. A February 28, 2017 letter from ten Senators to Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting that he demonstrate leadership in combatting hate violence and discrimination by prioritizing funding on relevant programs.
34. A March 2, 2017 letter from eight Senators to President Donald Trump asking for a commitment to protect the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
35. A March 3, 2017 letter from twenty-five Senators to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging him to make combatting hate crimes a major focus at the Department of Justice and to prioritize funding for the protection of civil rights.
36. A March 3, 2017 letter from Senators Murray, Warren and Sanders to Acting Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources Jeffrey Wood calling for a criminal investigation into federal contractor Halter Marine for repeated workplace deaths.
37. A March 3, 2017 letter from Senators McCaskill and Carper to White Counsel Don McGahn expressing concern and requesting information regarding the Trump Administration’s compliance with the Presidential Records Act.
38. A March 6, 2017 letter from Senators Wyden, Warner and Tillis to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly requesting that the Department of Homeland Security to conduct and audit of the H-2B visa program and requesting the H-2B petition process be kept open until the entire 66,000 visa cap is met.
39. A March 6, 2017 letter from eight Senators to President Trump calling on the White House to extend the policy of releasing White House visitor logs to cover Mar-a-Lago and other Trump properties such as Trump Tower.
40. A March 6, 2017 letter from eight Senators to Deputy Secret Service Director William Callahan requesting information regarding what steps are being taken to extend the policy of releasing White House visitor logs to cover the Mar-a-Lago club and other Trump properties such as Trump Tower.
41. A March 6, 2017 letter from seven Senators to President Trump requesting that the White House Council on Native American Affairs, established by Executive Order in 2013, and the White House Tribal Nations Conference continue to be prioritized.
42. A March 7, 2017 letter from Senator Cantwell to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke asserting that postponement of the Coal Royalty Valuation Rule is unlawful.
43. A March 7, 2017 letter from twelve Senators to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt calling on him to protect strong automobile fuel economy emissions standards.
44. A March 8, 2017 letter from Senators Warren and Carper to Deputy White House Counsel Stefan Passantino requesting information on Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner’s compliance with federal conflict of interest laws.
45. A March 10, 2017 letter from five Senators to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross seeking information on his connections to Russia and ties with the Bank of Cyprus.
46. A March 10, 2017 letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos from Senators Murray, Franken, Baldwin, Whitehouse, Warren, and Hassan regarding the rollback of Title IX Transgender Guidance.
47. A March 13, 2017 letter from Senators Warren and Murray to Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price and Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Anne Schuchat with questions on preparedness to deal with a potential pandemic flu outbreak.
48. A March 14, 2017 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Thomas Price from Senator Murray regarding concerns of the coverage and cost estimates of Republican legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
49. A March 14, 2017 letter from Senator Feinstein to Judge Neil Gorsuch requesting he provide additional documents in advance of his nomination hearing.
50. A March 15, 2017 letter from Senator Cortez Masto to President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting they issue a new policy to limit contacts between the Department of Justice and White House officials.
51. A March 16, 2017 letter from six Senators to White House Counsel Don McGahn and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt pushing for answers on the role that Carl Ichan is playing in shaping policy.
52. A March 17, 2017 letter from Senator Wyden to Acting General Counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services Jeffrey Davis requesting information about how the agency will ensure that Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Director Seema Verma is in compliance with her ethics agreements.
53. A March 17, 2017 letter from Senators Durbin, Blumenthal and Cardin to Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly requesting an investigation into whether White House advisor Sebastian Gorka falsified his naturalization application or otherwise illegally procured his citizenship. (Response from the Department of Homeland Security but no response from the Department of Justice).
54. A March 10, 2017 letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos from Senators Murray, Franken, Baldwin, Whitehouse, Warren, and Hassan regarding the rollback of Title IX Transgender Guidance.
55. A pair of March 25, 2017 letters from Senators Warren, Carper, Brown and Peters to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Deputy White House Counsel Stefan Passantino raising concerns about Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner’s unusually favorable deals with Chinese firms. (Mnuchin has responded but Passantino has not)
56. A March 27, 2017 letter from seven Senators to Carl Ichan requesting information on his role in the Trump Administration.
57. A March 27, 2017 letter from Senator Van Hollen to Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting information on the ongoing settlement negotiations and possible investigations into Deutsche Bank. 
58. A March 28, 2017 letter from Senators Warren, Merkley and Blumenthal to Attorney General Jeff Sessions about President Donald Trump’s decision to fire U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
59. A March 28, 2017 letter from eighteen Senators to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos calling on her to implement the Department of Education Office of the Inspector general’s recommendations on proper oversight and accountability for institutions of higher education in order to protect students and taxpayers from failing colleges.
60. A March 29, 2017 letter from forty-four Senate Democrats calling on President Trump to rescind the executive order signed on January 20th, 2017, which aimed to severely undermine the Affordable Care Act and urge the Trump administration to work with Democrats to improve health care and lower costs for all Americans.
61. A March 30, 2017 letter from nine Senators to Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting information about contact between the Department of Justice and U.S. attorneys’ offices on pending federal investigations prior to the firing of fourty-six U.S. Attorneys on March 10, 2017.
62. A March 30, 2017 letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey and White House Director of Management Marcia Lee Kelly questioning the issuing of security clearances to Michael Flynn and Sebastian Gorka.
63. An April 3, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt on his recent decision to overrule agency scientists and reverse a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos.
64. An April 3, 2017 letter from Senators Booker and Van Hollen to Attorney General Jeff Sessions with a series of questions on the Department of Justice’s decision to reverse course and continue to use private prisons.
65. An April 3, 2017 letter from Senators Carper and Cantwell to US Army Corps Lieutenant General Todd Semonite about the Dakota Access Pipeline.
66. An April 4, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt demanding any and all documents related to the Agency’s analysis of H.R.1430 following the Agency’s deliberate withholding of information from the Congressional Budget Office.
67. An April 4, 2017 letter from 21 Senators to Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price calling on the Trump Administration to release a secret plan to undermine the health care system that was presented to the House Freedom Caucus.
68. An April 6, 2017 letter from Senators Carper and Cardin to Acting General Services Administration Administrator Timothy Horne requesting documents and information related to GSA’s new policy of ignoring requests from Ranking Democrats on committees with jurisdiction over the agency.
69. An April 6, 2017 letter from seventeen Senators to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt asking questions about the EPA’s decision not to require information about methane emissions to be submitted by the oil and gas sector.
70. An April 7, 2017 letter from Senator Wyden to Department of Health and Human Services Acting General Counsel Jeffrey Davis requesting information about how the agency will ensure Administrator Seema Verma is in compliance with her ethics agreements not to directly work on matters involving major Medicaid consulting firms she has had financial relationships with.
71. An April 7, 2017 letter from five Senators to Secretary of Defense James Mattis raising concerns with the Department of Defense’s recently announced policy to ensure regulatory compliance by educational institutions that receive Department of Defense Tuition Assistance funds to educate women and men of the armed services.
72. An April 10, 2017 letter from twelve Senators to President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney calling on the Trump Administration to release the Army Corps of Engineers’ draft proposal for the Brandon Road Project to stop the spread of Asian Carp.
73. An April 10, 2017 letter from Senators Duckworth, Durbin, Booker and Van Hollen to Attorney General Jeff Sessions calling for him to reconsider his recent decision to review to use of consent decrees in cases of police violence.
74. An April 10, 2017 letter from twelve Senators to Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price requesting information related to the hiring of Roger Severino as the Director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS.
75. An April 14, 2017 letter from Senators Whitehouse, Schatz, Carper, and Markey to Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt requesting the details behind Mr. Pruitt’s decision to withdraw the Information Collection Request for oil and gas facilities.
76. An April 17, 2017 letter from Senator Duckworth to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao requesting information as to why the Department of Transportation is delaying the implementation of a rule aimed at protecting the rights of disabled commercial air travelers.
77. An April 20, 2017 letter from eight Senators to Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Ostroff requesting information about the implementation of the Orphan Drug Act.
78. A May 1, 2017 letter from Senators Carper, Whitehouse, Merkley and Markey to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt seeking information related to his scheduled keynote speech at an Oklahoma Republican Party fundraiser after its quick cancellation following a formal complaint to Office of Special Counsel.
79. A May 2, 2017 letter from Senator Whitehouse to Acting Assistant Attorney General Samuel Ramer asking for information on the Department of Justice’s conflict of interest determinations for new Trump administration political hires, including ethics agreements, disclosures, and waivers, after the Department did not respond to an initial request for the information in February.
80. A May 3, 2017 letter from seven Senators to President Trump requesting additional information regarding his decision to dismiss Dr. Vivek Murthy as U.S. Surgeon General.
81. A May 8, 2017 letter from Senators Feinstein, Leahy and Hirono to White House Counsel Don McGahn requesting information about the financial interests of Trump administration officials in the EB-5 regional center program. 
82. A May 8, 2017 letter from thirteen Senators to Secretary of Health and human Services Tom Price, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney regarding cost sharing reduction payments that are part of the Affordable Care Act.
83. A May 9, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt seeking more information on the Agency’s abrupt dismissal of 12 scientists from its Board of Scientific Counselors.
84. A May 10, 2017 letter from Leader Schumer to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein with a series of questions on his role in the President’s firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey.
85. A May 10, 2017 letter from Senator Durbin to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey calling for a detailed accounting of the Trump administration’s assessment and planned response to reports of Russian cyberattacks in the French presidential election. 
86. A May 10, 2017 letter from ten Senators to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt calling on him to commit that none of the agency’s regional or program offices will be closed or consolidated.
87. A May 10, 2017 letter from twenty-one Senators to Tom Price requesting answers regarding Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
88. A May 11, 2017 letter from fourteen Senators to President Donald Trump calling on him to immediately make clear his position on the cost-sharing reduction payments provided under the Affordable Care Act.
89. A May 11, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt requesting his overdue response on his letter related to EPA’s recent decision to overrule agency scientists and reverse a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos.
90. A May 11, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt requesting his overdue response to his April 4, 2017 letter on the Agency’s analysis of H.R. 1430 following the Agency’s deliberate withholding of information from the Congressional Budget Office.
91. A May 11, 2017 letter from eight Senators to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke urging him to lift the Department of the Interior’s sudden suspension of long-standing committees and advisory boards that provide essential local community input on public land management.
92. A May 12, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt requesting his overdue response to the letter that asked questions about EPA’s decision not to require information about methane emissions to be submitted by the oil and gas sector.
93. A May 12, 2017 letter from Senator Feinstein to White House Counsel Don McGahn on the preservation of any recordings of President Trump and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey.
94. A May 15, 2017 letter from five Senators to Secretary Zinke, opposing the repeal of the Consolidated Federal Oil & Gas and Federal & Indian Coal Valuation Reform Rule and requesting that the Department reinstate the rule in its entirety.
95. A May 16, 2017 letter from Senators Whitehouse and Merkley to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt requesting information on an appointee, Elizabeth “Tate” Bennett, who appears to be unable to perform virtually any of the duties of the job due to her ethics conflicts.
96. A May 16, 2017 letter from twenty-eight Senators to Secretary of Energy Rick Perry communicating their view that the Secretary must comply with the law by awarding and releasing research and development funds according to Congress’s direction.
97. A May 17, 2017 letter from five Senators to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos demanding answers regarding the delay of payment on tens of thousands of student loan discharges and refunds approved under the “borrower defense” authority.
98. A May 17, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt resubmitting a request for information and documents after receiving an entirely non-responsive letter from his office.
99. A May 17, 2017 letter from Senator Duckworth to Secretary of Defense James Mattis questioning whether the chaos coming out of the Trump White House is undermining Secretary Mattis’ stated goal of developing a coherent, comprehensive U.S. strategy to confront Russian aggression.
100. A May 19, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt related to his incomplete response to the letter asking him to correct the record and clarify statements he made at his confirmation hearing given that the disclosure of communications from his time as Oklahoma attorney general show that he was not fully forthcoming in his responses under oath. 
101. A May 20, 2017 letter from Senator Carper to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt requesting information about EPA’s enforcement efforts following reports that Devon Energy was no longer willing to install air emissions control technology and pay a significant enforcement fine following Mr. Pruitt’s arrival at EPA.
102. A May 22, 2017 letter from Senator Duckworth to National Security Agency Director Admiral Michael Rogers to ask whether any security sweeps were conducted following the President’s recent meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister and Ambassador, as well as whether any listening or recording devices were found in the Oval Office.