Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.) told Fox News on Thursday morning that Congress may subpoena Barack Obama's former national security adviser, Susan Rice, to testify about unmasking Trump transition officials.
Rice declined an invitation to testify next week before a Senate subcommittee on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Republicans have asked Rice to appear before lawmakers after reports revealed last month that she requested on several occasions the identities of "masked" U.S. persons in intelligence reports linked to President Trump's transition and campaign.
The Americans' conversations were caught incidentally in surveillance of foreigners being monitored by the intelligence community.
Numerous stories have been published about Trump associates having contact with Russian officials due to intelligence leaks.
Trump went to Twitter on Thursday and expressed his dissatisfaction with Rice's refusal to testify.
Susan Rice, the former National Security Advisor to President Obama, is refusing to testify before a Senate Subcommittee next week on.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 4, 2017
...allegations of unmasking Trump transition officials. Not good!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 4, 2017
Fox News host Bill Hemmer asked Gowdy to respond to Rice's refusal to testify. The lawmaker said Congress could still issue a subpoena that forces Rice to testify.
"There are things called subpoenas. You shouldn't have to use it with a former national security adviser, but if you do, you do," Gowdy said.
He later added that Rice is an important witness to the investigation.
"Members of Congress don't pick the witnesses. Lawyers don't pick witnesses. The facts pick the witnesses," Gowdy said. "And whether Ambassador Rice likes it or not, she's a really important fact witness."