Posted on 12/10/2019 2:05:54 PM PST by jazusamo
Top Republicans in the House are vowing to use every procedural tool available to them to strong-arm Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and get them to hold a minority hearing on impeachment.
In a letter led by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), sent to Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday, the conservative members noted Republicans had previously requested a minority hearing be held before articles of impeachment were introduced. The group argued that while Democrats did not comply with their requested timeline, under current rules they are entitled to a hearing.
“During the open hearing on December 4, 2019, Congressman Sensenbrenner, on behalf of all of the Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee, presented you with a request for a minority hearing in compliance with Clause 2(1)(1) of Rule XI. To date, you have ignored the request and failed to respond to repeated questioning on the matter,” they wrote.
The lawmakers went on to allege the Democrats’ probe has been conducted at an “unprecedented speed,” adding that while they do not control the panel’s schedule, they feel the minority hearing should be held before the articles are voted on in the committee in coming days.
“The House rules do not afford you the ability to deny this request. Though scheduling is left to your discretion, when considering the unprecedented speed at which the majority is moving towards impeaching a duly elected president, a delay under these circumstances is tantamount to a denial of our right to a minority hearing,” they continued.
“Until our procedural rights as Members of the United States House of Representatives are respected, we will avail ourselves of every parliamentary tool available to us in committees and the House floor in order to highlight your inaction,” it reads.
In addition to Biggs, 71 GOP lawmakers including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo,) signed onto the letter.
Republicans have been highly critical of the impeachment process since it kicked off early this fall calling it a "sham" and a process that has been shrouded in secrecy. Democrats have adamantly defended it, arguing they have pursued a thorough and fair probe into potential corruption.
“The Democrats haven't thrown out the rule book, they lit it on fire, and you know danced around it. There is no mechanism for us to be able to put on our case given Adam Schiff's veto of our witnesses and Jerry Nadler's rejection of our entitled evidentiary hearing,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) told The Hill. “This would be like a criminal trial where the prosecution put on their case, and the defense wasn't allowed to admit evidence, unless the prosecution agreed to it.”
The House Judiciary Committee could hold a markup on the two articles of impeachment unveiled on Tuesday as soon as Wednesday evening, with some projecting a floor vote before Christmas.
Nadler declined to comment on whether the minority hearing will take place.
That is the natural result of SCOTUS denying Republicans the right to legally establish facts via libel suit.And that was the effect of the Warren Court’s 1964 New York Times Co. v. Sullivan decision. That decision nominally doesn’t discriminate between parties - but the journalism cartel does. Democrats don’t get libeled, Republicans routinely do. In Sullivan Justice Brennan claimed that
". . . libel can claim no talismanic immunity from constitutional limitations. It must be measured by standards that satisfy the First Amendment”But as Scalia noted, the First Amendment - indeed, the entire Bill of Rights - was designed to assure the Constitution’s critics that the Constitution not only did not diminish any right then extant, but prohibited anyone to do so without passing a constitutional amendment. “the” freedom of the press is freedom of the press as it existed prior to the ratification of the Constitution - freedom within the established limits of pornography law and the right of the people to sue for libel.The Bill of Rights was not intended, or understood, to change libel rights or any other rights. ". . . libel can claim no talismanic immunity from constitutional limitations. It must be measured by standards that satisfy the First Amendment” is therefore sheer nonsense.
Excellent point. So you bog them down, bog them down, and at the same time you give them a hard time. My reading of Schiff is he can’t handle credible opposition. He has to be in control of everything. No cross-examination, only direct, and behind closed doors, and the witnesses he chooses to call, and then only make public excerpts he chooses to forward his narrative. He’s a pathological control freak. Take it all out of his hands, and then force him to participate civilly without being in control, and he will melt down like a five-year-old who wants another piece of chocolate.
Push back. Wreck their narrative. Have Trump allow the Ukrainians who want to testify come in to testify. Order the State Department to issue them visas specifically for the purpose. Clark, or Kent, or whatever his name is, is deliberately refusing to do that. And have them testify, in front of the House, in front of a Grand Jury, then talk to the media. Have Rudy testify at the minority hearing, too. Save Schiff for an ethics committee complaint, and Blow Boy (my word for whistle blower) in front of the CIA IG after it’s all over.
Nixon was not impeached. He resigned to avoid the inevitable.
Since Clinton the dems have believed it is their turn to impeach. Also they just can’t get over Trump beating the unbeatable clinton. We got 5 more years of this crap up ahead unless the voters restore the house.
They will do their usual, campaign to win house back saying they will pursue action against all of them and when they win will decide to move on as it’s in the best interest of the country.
You have more confidence in the Senate than I do. McConnell and Graham have not announced how they will conduct the trial and Graham has made statements that he might sharply limit witnesses and go for a quick vote.
Trump once recorded a pro football game without the express written permission of the football commissioner. Peach fo-ti-fi!
The GOP Senate should have had fact gathering hearings in parallel to the House impeachment hoax show trial. I believe both the HOuse and Senate had Watergate hearings. No reason not to do the same here.
McConnell should have told Pelosi that 1) the GOP Senate would gather facts that validate Trump’s concerns on Ukraine corruption and 2) there would be a witness taking the 5th in the Senate every day the Dems have a hearing in the House.
My guess that would have greatly reduced Democrat enthusiasm for this hoax. Instead the House Dems got the green light from the do-nothing GOP Senate and POTUS will be impeached by the House next week.
A black comedian on twitter put it another way
Two impeachment charges
1) you won 2016
2) you’re gonna win 2020
This might get a couple more moderate or vulnerable dems to get cold feet. Yet another norm smashed makes this look a little worse.
Only 71?
By the time impeachment gets to the Senate, Trey Gowdy will be able to conduct the examination of the Deep State seditious actors. I doubt they want to be under oath with Gowdy asking the questions. Same goes for other GOP former prosecutors. And if the Senatorsare allowed to question the witnesses, Ted Cruz will rip them a new one.
By the time impeachment gets to the Senate, Trey Gowdy will be able to conduct the examination of the Deep State seditious actors. I doubt they want to be under oath with Gowdy asking the questions. Same goes for other GOP former prosecutors. And if the Senatorsare allowed to question the witnesses, Ted Cruz will rip them a new one.
According to Rush and the OANN report, there was a massive kickback scheme with the Ukraine that involves both Dem and Republican Senators and Reps, including the turtle, military and financial aid kicked back. The swamp does not want to be drained.
Many democrats know the IG Report is damning and want any prosecution of themselves individually, after the John Durham report brings into focus the interagency and political contacts with those agencies.
Barr is making clear this should never happen again, and that in order to move forward we have to hold people responsible for misdeeds of the past.
The IG Report is simply/mostly focused on the FBI but Durham will focus on the Obama White House, CIA, FBI interactions and the activities of the politicians in the DNC.
Funny!
“Only we can change the world.”
You got that right. Waht we have here is a failure to ‘commooncate’ the reality of the control over our government by one party, the Dems, and the ruling class among them that was ordained by the Obama administration.
Well said, agree.
I have a hunch many democrats and deep state pukes including those in high places are getting very nervous because of the way AG Barr and Durham are speaking out, neither one of them are backing off.
Am looking forward to the day when indictments start coming down, may there be many.
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