The House Judiciary Committee just voted to hold Barr in contempt. Here's what happens next.


The House Judiciary Committee has just voted in favor of holding Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress. So how big of a deal is that, and what happens next?
After Wednesday's vote, which came as President Trump asserted executive privilege over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's unredacted report, the entire House of Representatives now has to take a vote on the contempt resolution.
Should the House pass it, ABC News explains, the contempt citation would be referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, at which point it would likely not go any further into prosecution. For this reason, CNN notes, the contempt citation won't actually change much, though it's a dramatic escalation of the fight between Congress and the Trump administration.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
None of this is unprecedented, exactly. During former President Barack Obama's administration, then Attorney General Eric Holder was also held in contempt of Congress after withholding documents related to Operation Fast and Furious. There was plenty of Republican outrage as the contempt resolution was passed, but in the end, Holder was not prosecuted, and he remained in office.
However, Vox notes that what would be more significant is if Congress passes a resolution to proceed with a lawsuit against Barr to obtain the unredacted Mueller report, during which Barr could be held in contempt of court. That could be next, meaning that although Wednesday's vote on its own is not exactly Earth-shattering, the fight is likely far from over.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The latest entry in Ethan Coen's queer trilogy, a Jeff Buckley documentary and the rare children's horror flick in August movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Honey Don't!,' 'It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley' and 'Sketch'
-
Switzerland could experience unique economic problems from Trump's tariffs
In the Spotlight The current US tariff rate on Switzerland is among the highest in the world
-
The NCAA is a 'billion-dollar sports behemoth' that 'should not be a nonprofit'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
Trump takes over DC police, deploys National Guard
Speed Read The president blames the takeover on rising crime, though official figures contradict this concern
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crime
Speed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additions
Speed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline