Washington, May 23 (RHC)-- On Capital Hill, calls for launching impeachment proceedings are growing among many House Democrats as President Donald Trump continues to block congressional oversight efforts by refusing to hand over documents and by barring officials from testifying.  The issue remains divisive as the chamber’s leadership has thus far opposed the move.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has argued that focusing on impeachment could hurt the chances of Democrats in the 2020 election.

Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to former White House communications director Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson, former chief of staff to Don McGahn. The panel is seeking documents and the two women’s testimonies as they investigate Trump’s potential obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power.

The news came as former White House counsel Don McGahn skipped his congressional hearing this week, after Trump directed him to defy a subpoena for his testimony.  House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler warned again that McGahn could be cited for contempt if he continues to refuse cooperation with Congress.

In other news, there are reports that former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about his time working for the Trump administration.  He reportedly discussed his tense relationship with Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and Russian interference in the 2016 election.  According to a congressional aide, Tillerson told lawmakers Trump actively avoided confronting Russia over the issue in an effort to fortify the White House’s relationship with Moscow.