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On the day after voters handed Democrats control of the House of Representatives, President Trump said members of the opposition party can work to strike bipartisan deals on policy or they can use their newfound power to investigate him 鈥� but they can鈥檛 do both.
The likely future chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee doesn鈥檛 see it that way.
鈥淲e have a duty to look into government and to try to figure out what might be wrong, and try to correct it and make things better,鈥� said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, (D-Md.), currently the ranking member of the panel.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do what is responsible and we will address everything with great transparency.鈥�
Cummings, speaking to reporters at a news conference in Baltimore Wednesday, said no decisions have been made regarding what document demands or oversight hearings the committee might pursue, but he signaled a determination to use the committee鈥檚 various powers 鈥� including the ability to subpoena executive branch papers 鈥� to shine a light on the president and the agencies he controls.
鈥淭he job laid out to us in the Constitution is to be a check on the executive branch, and we plan to do that,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥淲e plan to do that with facts. 鈥� Fact-based investigations and investigations that hopefully will lead to better government.鈥�
In recent months, Cummings has pressed his GOP colleagues to support Democratic attempts to get documents related the administration鈥檚 policy of separating migrant children from their parents, the president鈥檚 payments to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, alleged wrongdoing by former Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt and many others.
And, of course, there has been widespread speculation that Democrats will use their majority-party status to try to gain access to the president鈥檚 long-hidden tax returns.
At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Trump praised House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is likely to become speaker in January, and he said there are numerous areas for potential deal-making.
鈥淣ow we have a much easier path, because the Democrats will come to us with a plan for infrastructure, a plan for health care, a plan for whatever they are looking at, and we鈥檒l negotiate,鈥� he said.
Later, however, he declared that an onslaught of investigations would preclude negotiations on policy.
鈥淚f they do that, then it鈥檚 just 鈥� all it is, is a warlike posture,鈥� the president said.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 do them simultaneously. Just think if somebody said, 鈥極h, you can do them both.鈥� No, you can鈥檛. Because if they鈥檙e doing that, we鈥檙e not doing the other, just so you understand. So we won鈥檛 be doing that.鈥�
Cummings declined to respond directly to the president鈥檚 statement.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to get caught up in that dialogue at all. I believe that the president is going to come through. I think he wants to have good government and I鈥檓 looking forward to working with him.鈥�
Rep. Jamie Raskin, who serves with Cummings on the oversight committee, seemed to suggest that there are numerous potential uses for the panel鈥檚 powers to subpoena documents and hold hearings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like coming upon an 88-car wreck on the highway in terms of trying to figure out where to get started, with some of what鈥檚 taken place in the last couple of years,鈥� the Montgomery Democrat said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressed pessimism that a divided Congress will get much done, leaving more floor time for his chamber of confirm the president鈥檚 judicial appointments.
But Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) was more optimistic.
鈥淭he House will be passing a number of important initiatives,鈥� Van Hollen said. 鈥淓lection reform. Campaign finance reform. Reducing the cost of prescription drugs. And my hope is that will put pressure on the Republican leadership in the Senate to do the right thing.鈥�
Cummings was one of several Maryland lawmakers to have lunch with Rep.-elect David J. Trone (D) at a restaurant near Port Covington. Afterward, the lawmakers and Trone, the businessman who on Tuesday won the seat occupied since 2013 by Rep. John K. Delaney (D), spoke to reporters.
Also attending the event were Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin and Reps. C.A. 鈥淒utch鈥� Ruppersberger and John P. Sarbanes.
All expressed optimism that their party鈥檚 win on Tuesday would result in positive change for the nation, including renewed focus on infrastructure, the rising cost of prescription drugs, the opioid epidemic, gun safety, education and the environment.
And all pledged to improve political discourse, which Raskin said has become 鈥渃oarse, even appalling鈥� over the last two years.
鈥淔or the last couple years, the country, the democracy has been sliding on loose gravel,鈥� Sarbanes said. 鈥淸On Tuesday] we found our footing.鈥�
鈥淲e won鈥檛 tolerate speech that leads to hate that can lead to violence,鈥� said Cardin. 鈥淲e want to make this a hate-free country.鈥�
Sarbanes has put together a package of bills dealing with elections and ethics reform that could breathe new life in 2019.
Along with Pelosi or whomever becomes speaker, Cummings could well end up the public face of Democrats鈥� efforts to obtain documents the White House would prefer to keep hidden.
Perhaps mindful of that possibly, Van Hollen praised his former House colleague, calling him 鈥渟omeone who is going to be pivotal and central to the effort of the American people to get the facts on all sorts of important issues.鈥�
鈥淲e need transparency, we need accountability and the public has a right to know what鈥檚 going on in a whole range of issues. And I know Elijah Cummings is the right person for the job at this important time in our history,鈥� Van Hollen said.
Another Maryland Democrat who could see his stature rise as a result of Tuesday鈥檚 balloting is Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, who Cardin said was unable to attend the lunch because of meetings on Capitol Hill.
Hoyer, who has longer dreamed of being speaker, has served as majority leader in the past and is hopeful of retaking that post in January when the new Congress is sworn in.
