Posted on 10/29/2019 10:39:19 AM PDT by Liz
House Democratic leaders are walking back a planned vote Thursday that would officially endorse impeachment proceedings and say that the resolution would merely address the process of holding public hearings on the matter.
“This is not an impeachment resolution,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday morning. “I don’t know what an impeachment resolution is.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Monday that the planned vote was “not an impeachment resolution.”
Earlier in the day, Pelosi announced the House would vote on a resolution that “affirms the ongoing, existing investigation,” and “establishes the procedure for hearings that are open to the American people, authorizes the disclosure of deposition transcripts, outlines procedures to transfer evidence to the Judiciary Committee as it considers potential articles of impeachment, and sets forth due process rights for the president and his Counsel.”
Pelosi characterized the vote as one that would put to rest accusations by President Trump and the GOP that the impeachment proceedings are not legitimate because they were not sanctioned by an official House vote.
“We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump Administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representative,” Pelosi said Monday.
But Democrats are suddenly wary of calling it an official vote to open an impeachment hearing and aren’t even promising a vote on Thursday.
Hoyer said the resolution “addresses moving from the investigatory phase to the hearing phase,” of the impeachment proceedings, entering the public phase. Hoyer, who controls the floor schedule, would not fully commit to holding the vote on Thursday. “We are going to have to consider whether or not it is ready to go on Thursday,” Hoyer said. The resolution will be drafted and advanced Wednesday by the House Rules Committee, whose Democrats operate as an essential arm of the speaker.
Hoyer described the resolution as one that would establish a process for ending the closed-door investigatory phase of the impeachment proceeding, which has so far involved depositions taken in a secure room in the basement of the U.S. Capitol.
The House Intelligence Committee has been running the proceedings since late September, and lawmakers from Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Government Reform have been invited to attend and ask questions. The resolution expected Thursday would “address the process,” of ending the closed-door depositions “into a phase when we have public hearings.”
Hoyer added, “That is what this is: No more, no less.” The resolution is expected to provide the Intelligence panel with sole authority to conduct the public hearings, which departs from precedent.
Past presidential impeachment hearings involving both judges and presidents have always been conducted by the House Judiciary Committee.
The resolution is expected to provide minority Republicans with an opportunity to call witnesses and for Trump to defend himself against Democrats who accuse him of abusing power and obstructing Congress.
Hoyer said he didn’t know when public hearings would begin.“We still want to do this expeditiously, but we are not bound by any time deadline, Hoyer said.
“Maybe they should just “deem” Trump impeached and get on with it.”
As long as they have 218 votes they can do whatever they want.
Hasn’t he done that several times already? He holds a lot of press conferences and I’ve heard him address it several times.
The vote that will really matter is the one that will be held a year from now when we get rid of the garbage party.
Hey, that’s double-secret Sham Impeachment to you.
The Soviet Stasi would be proud.
Yeah, you’re right. Maybe he should do a chicken dance from Arrested Development.
Who said anything about voting?
POTUS challenged her to take the vote, and she bowed up like she was gonna do it. Then reality set in and now she has to find a new gimmick.
It will be more akin to old witching methods. Here President Trump we are going to tie you to this contraption and lower you into the cold Potomac river, if you float why then you are guilty as charged. If you don’t you are innocent, but unfortunately also dead, but the rules are the rules and we must impeach you.
blah, blah, blah ... they don’t have the votes. Pelosi & Co. couldn’t bulldoze enough marginal House prospects who are skittish about committing political suicide ...
“So if they are not taking a official vote to “start” a impeachment hearing, then it’s still not official and thus their BS so called subpoenas don’t carry any legal authority and President Trump can continue to tell them to pound sand. Right?”
Correct. They are going to approve their Fake Impeachment non-proceeding. They hope to trick a federal court into approving their subpoenas but that dog won’t hunt.
Reason why this is moving backward it’s not going over well with the American people and a real vote on actual impeachment proceedings would cost them dozens of Congressional seats in Trump leaning districts.
True
Understood. We can only hope now that they’ll stop this nonsense
Cackling right along with you!!!
Why would anyone expect this? It would completely foil the dem plan for the coup!
That wouldn't cure the fundamental defect here. There is no reasonable basis for suspicion of an impeachable action by POTUS.
Once again we are treated to government forces topping last week's excess. The government abuses its power daily in the courts, so we are somewhat accustomed to it. The Congress also steps out of bounds on legislation, so no shocker it would "play games" with impeachment too.
Bluffing isn’t going to work for the long haul....which is what thy are doing and have been doing.
I love this! The democrats are killing their chances in November 2020. They think they are gaining favor with this impeachment crap.
They will schedule the vote for a Saturday morning at 2 a.m. to ensure attendance by as few Republicans as possible. They may not even announce it before scheduling.
To Democrats, this is what passes for “open government”.
That wouldn’t cure the fundamental defect here. There is no reasonable basis for suspicion of an impeachable action by POTUS.
I agree with no basis...but is it necessary? they seem to be investigating for a possible crime to investigate..lol
That’s my point.
And even if/when they do, the Executive is under no Constitutional obligation to cooperate or participate in any way.
And there is no court or power that can compel him to do so.
IMHO, IF the House takes a vote on Articles of Impeachment, and it passes, POTUS should just change NOTHING, knowing he will not be convicted and removed.
Laugh. Ridicule and derision being the course to take.
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