The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a measure passed by the House, would require the US secretary of state to certify each year that Hong Kong retained its autonomy in order to receive special treatment as a major financial center.
White House refusal to participate in the inquiry means no additional witnesses under administration purview will be permitted to appear in front of Congress or comply with document requests.
The second official, also from the US intelligence community, has been interviewed by the inspector general.
Democrats ask White House for documents related to President Trump's call with Ukraine leader and subpoena Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who admits listening in on the July call that's triggered impeachment inquiry of Trump.
Leading Democrats have called for accountability as the fallout of Trump's Ukraine scandal shows no sign of receding.
In the days following the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's new president, senior White House officials intervened to "lock down" all records of the call, according to a declassified whistleblower complaint.
Asian markets fell following declines on Wall Street as the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump weighed on sentiment.
Complaint also alleges White House sought to "lock down" records of phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian leader Zelenskiy but White House rejects it as "a collection of third-hand accounts of events and cobbled-together press clipping."
The Democratic-controlled House will examine whether President Trump abused his powers and sought Ukraine's help to smear former vice president Joe Biden, a 2020 Democratic front runner, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
Top Republican leaders rallied around Trump, but four members of the president's party voted with the 235 Democrats to condemn him for "racist comments that have legitimised and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of colour."
President Donald Trump doubles down on his attacks against four minority US congresswomen and dismissed concerns that his comments were racist, prompting outrage from Democrats.
US President Donald Trump told a group of Democratic congresswomen including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley to ‘go back’ to the countries they came from, even though all are US citizens.
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