verb
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to check or stop the flowing of ; also ; to stop the flow of blood from (a wound)
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to stop or check in its course; to make watertight; stop up
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allay, extinguish
adj
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steadfast in loyalty or principle
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watertight, sound; strongly built, substantial
Popularity: Bottom 50% of words
On Oct. 8, 2019, the White House counsel, Pat Cipollone, sent a highly controversial letter to the speaker of the House and several committee chairs, contending that the House’s impeachment inquiry is “constitutionally invalid and a violation of due process.” Accordingly, the letter informs the House that “President Trump and his Administration cannot participate” in the inquiry. It suggests, without quite saying so, that current and possibly former administration officials would be instructed not to cooperate with the House’s investigation, and it asserts that such officials cannot be punished for obeying instructions “not to appear or not to provide particular testimony before Congress based on privileges and immunities of the Executive Branch.”
In little more than two weeks, however, some “nine key figures have testified” before Congress, apparently unconcerned by the Oct. 8 letter. These include mostly career State Department and Pentagon officials, a former White House staffer (Fiona Hill) and a current political appointee (Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland). Several other administration officials either have agreed to testify or are considering testifying in upcoming days. And one former White House staffer (Charles Kupperman) has taken the extraordinary step of interpleading Congress and the administration in federal court to determine whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena or the president’s instructions not to appear in response to the subpoena.
