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.
Translation: Pelosi doesn’t want the vote to happen and get turned down, which would end the story. The “impeachment” is better if it’s a never-ending media narrative.
Schlonged
maybe they all put their pathetic little brains together and realized that they’re just one step away from causing blood in the streets of USA?
” Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once. “
BOL......but whose?
I really want a vote to happen. It will give President Trump a good plan for where to hold his rallies in order to oust the democrats who vote for it.
can i sue the democrat party for wasting taxpayers dollars?
“affirms the ongoing, existing investigation,” and “establishes the procedure for hearings that are open to the American people...”
She’s saying she will re write the rules.... uh huhhh.
Theater.
Mememememememe....
Meanwhile, America keeps on Winning.
Wonderful. As long as it is fake impeachment, Trump and his administration have no duty to cooperate.
Sweet. I can’t wait until he is re-elected and replaces Ruth Commie Ginsburg.
It is a sham vote to try and legitimize the fake kangaroo court they are currently running.
Yeah....that is a neat trick to unseat the thieving Dems who stole Repub seats.
“This is not an impeachment resolution,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday morning. “I don’t know what an impeachment resolution is.”
—
No, you don’t. Nor do you know the difference between your *ss and a hole in the ground.
This is no change from yesterday, but the dem messaging was (intentionally) confusing. Nancy has her tongue tied in knots as usual.
I say go for it, babe.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday morning, “I don’t know what an impeachment resolution is.”
Let me help you out here imbecile.
Either they have the votes and don’t want to do it or they don’t have the votes.
Tough to write a resolution that grants Dems legal powers and withholds them from Republicans. Even their media arms are finding that one a tough sell. Maybe they should just “deem” Trump impeached and get on with it.
BOL.....nice slapdown.
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