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Photo: Christopher Goodney\/Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n
House Republicans want to question Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg about his potential indictment of former President Trump \u2014 but Senate Republicans aren't so hot on the idea.<\/p>\n
Why it matters:<\/strong> The move by House Republicans \u2014 perhaps their boldest effort yet to protect Trump \u2014 is drawing mixed reactions from their colleagues in the Senate, many of whom see serious risks in second-guessing how local prosecutors pursue cases.<\/p>\n What they're saying:<\/strong> "I personally prefer to see them work on the agenda they ran on and that got them the majority" in the House, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told Axios. <\/p>\n Other senators voiced <\/strong>support for the House Republican effort:<\/p>\n The big picture:<\/strong> The House GOP's strategy is the latest Trump-era example of how government institutions and traditions are being challenged by highly partisan conflicts.<\/p>\n Driving the news:<\/strong> Bragg has given no indication he'll comply with the GOP request, leaving Congress (mostly) at the mercy of President Biden\u2019s Justice Department to enforce a potential subpoena.<\/p>\n Between the lines:<\/strong> In their letter to Bragg on Monday, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) were careful to couch their request with language about Congress\u2019 legitimate legislative functions.<\/p>\n The other side:<\/strong> Some Democrats say those claims are a bit thin to justify a demand that Bragg testify.<\/p>\n The intrigue:<\/strong> There\u2019s a third option for Congress to compel Bragg's testimony, but it also would reflect how combative American politics has become.<\/p>\n\n
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