Ryan declines to back calls to hold Sessions in contempt

Speaker Paul RyanPaul Davis RyanMcCarthy, Scalise just stop short of calling for Sessions to be held in contempt House chaplain presides over first prayer since rescinding resignation The Hill's 12:30 Report — Sponsored by Pfizer — Trump accuses Mueller team of secret 'conflicts of interest' MORE (R-Wis.) on Tuesday said he hasn't spoken to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin NunesDevin Gerald NunesMcCarthy, Scalise just stop short of calling for Sessions to be held in contempt Laura Ingraham confronts Nunes on not reading docs he requested CNN: Nunes didn't read document that prompted Russia investigation MORE (R-Calif.) about his call to hold Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsSessions unveils 'zero tolerance' policy at southern border McCarthy, Scalise just stop short of calling for Sessions to be held in contempt Hillicon Valley: Chinese firm asks feds to lift business ban | North Korean hackers grow more brazen | Panel advances DHS cyber pick | Dems want scrutiny of T-Mobile, Sprint merger MORE in contempt of Congress, but did call on the Justice Department to release classified documents related to the Russia investigation.

"We expect the administration to comply with our document requests as a matter of form for the executive branch and our legislative branch oversight," Ryan said. "So I haven't spoken with Devin about this, we have a thorough process we go through, but we clearly expect the administration to honor our document requests."

Other members of GOP leadership have also expressed concern over the Justice Department's decision to withhold the information but stopped short of calling for Sessions to be held in contempt. 

"The Department of Justice has to turn over the documents that Congress has requested, and they've seen a lot of serious questions raised about what we've uncovered so far," House Majority Whip Steve ScaliseStephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseMcCarthy, Scalise just stop short of calling for Sessions to be held in contempt The costs of carbon taxes are real — and crippling GOP rep faces old foe in N.C. primary MORE (R-La.) said Monday. "So, I'm not sure what they have to hide, but they have to comply with the law just like everybody else."

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyMcCarthy, Scalise just stop short of calling for Sessions to be held in contempt McCarthy: Dems want to ‘capture’ Congress and impeach Trump The Hill's Morning Report: Giuliani bombshell draws Trump into Cohen legal mess MORE (R-Calif.) said "there's a frustration with a lot of members" on how long the investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election has been taking and the Justice Department's refusal to comply with the subpoena.

"I'd like to see the information come to the House," he said.

Nunes said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends" Sunday that "the only thing left to do" is hold Sessions in contempt after concluding the Justice Department isn’t going to comply with his request for documents pertaining to the special counsel’s Russia investigation.