WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton said Monday that he is “prepared to testify” if he is subpoenaed by the Senate in its impeachment trial.
Bolton, who left the White House in September, said that he has weighed the issues of executive privilege and that after “careful consideration and study” decided that he would comply with a Senate subpoena.
“I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify," he said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly expressed resistance to calling new witnesses in the trial, though Democrats are pressing to hear from Bolton and others who did not appear before the House's inquiry in the upcoming proceedings.
Bolton's statement comes as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is stalling House-passed articles of impeachment against Trump in a bid to get new witnesses to testify. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has proposed calling several witnesses, including Bolton, but McConnell has so far rejected Schumer's terms.
It is unclear when Pelosi will eventually release the articles. If she decides to do so in the coming days, a Senate trial could start as soon as this week.
“We can’t hold a trial without the articles,” McConnell tweeted Monday. “The Senate’s own rules don’t provide for that. So, for now, we are content to continue the ordinary business of the Senate while House Democrats continue to flounder. For now.”
Apple's Racial Equity and Justice Initiative is a $100 million program aimed at combating systemic racism while working to advance racial equity across the country. Alisha Johnson, director of the initiative, joined Cheddar at SXSW to discuss the work being done. "We focused on three critical areas. The first is education. The second is criminal justice reform, and the third is economic empowerment, really looking first in our own supply chain, how can we really increase our spend with Latinx, Hispanic, and indigenous-owned businesses," she said. "And then how can we go further to empower entrepreneurs who have been cut out of access to funding and capital and really help them to get the funding."
What you Need to Know on Thursday, March 17. Updates from Ukraine, President Biden refers to Putin as a ‘war criminal’ for the first time, Walmart has ambitious hiring targets for Q1, and Netflix takes steps to crack down on password sharing.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Cheddar's Michelle Castillo from South By Southwest to boost President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure legislation and talk about the big transportation issues of the day, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the future of public transit. "It means we have a huge wind at our back delivering on the kinds of transportation solutions that are going to define the 2020's 2030s, 2040s even," he said. "And that's what makes it exciting to come to South by Southwest and talk with some of the people who are following these technologies and ideas the most closely and talk about where we're headed." Buttigieg also touched on the "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida, noting that such legislative pushes were likely coming from politicians deflecting from lacking answers to pressing economic concerns, in his opinion.
Following President Biden's executive order that could lead toward regulating digital currency in the United States. Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J. 5th District), the congressman responsible for proposing a bill to regulate stablecoins, digital assets backed by fiat currencies, joined Cheddar News to discuss the bill. "I just want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to be helpful to encourage this innovation and growth here in the United States," he said.
European antitrust regulators gave Amazon approval for its MGM acquisition deal. Amazon expects MGM's collection of content will help it compete in the increasingly crowded world of streaming services.
Lisa Whalen, managing director of automotive and mobility analysis at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss Uber and Lyft's decision to enact price surcharges on riders.
Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) joined Cheddar News to talk about a range of topics including Sarah Bloom Raskin's recent withdrawal as a nominee to the Federal Reserve, the impact the Federal Reserve will have on inflation, and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. "I think it's unfortunate she had to withdraw. I think she was very, very qualified for the position by everything she's done in her past, especially in the area of cyber," he said. "She would have been good to have on the Fed."
With a zero-covid policy in China, country officials are imposing lockdowns in the region in an attempt to control the spread. With China being home to about one-third of global manufacturing, these lockdowns are wreaking havoc on the already fragile supply chain, causing disruption to production of phones and cars alike. Suketu Gandhi, Supply Chain Partner at Kearney joined Cheddar's Azia Celestino to discuss.
Markets opened higher this morning as oil prices fall and investors await a decision from the Federal Reserve. Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Officer, Fitz-Gerald Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
