Republicans call for transparency in impeachment inquiry

Weeks ago the White House sent a letter to the House demanding the full House vote on the impeachment inquiry and threatened lack of cooperation in the investigation. Trump's White House has since refused to engage with the impeachment inquiry because it argues the President is denied due process. It has not complied with congressional subpoenas and has instructed administration officials and those associated with Trump to do the same.

Since then Republicans have been calling for transparency and due process for Trump.

The Republican complaints can be summed up in Senator Lindsey Graham's resolution to censure the House for its investigative process.

Among Graham's complaints are that the House has not voted to open the impeachment inquiry, that witnesses so far have given closed-door testimonies, and that Trump is being denied his rights to defend himself against the allegations emerging from the process.

For Democrats the investigation stage of impeachment is largely complete enabling the grounds for impeachment. Soon the public phase of the impeachment inquiry will begin, and they drafted the ground rules, placing them in a House resolution which will be voted on Thursday.

The eight-page resolution calls for public hearings and lays out their general format, and specifically permits staff counsels to question witnesses for periods of up to 45 minutes per side, Democrats and Republicans.

The resolution gives the minority the same rights to question witnesses that the majority has, as has been true at every step of the inquiry. That is something that Jordan and Scalise failed to mention today in their haste to find out the identity of the whistleblower.

The measure also would allow the President or his counsel to participate in impeachment proceedings held by the House Judiciary Committee.

The resolution authorizes the Intelligence Committee to make all transcripts public with appropriate redactions to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

A word of caution to Republicans trying to defend Trump. Be careful what you wish for.

 

The White House denounced the resolution.

"The resolution put forward by Speaker Pelosi confirms that House Democrats’ impeachment has been an illegitimate sham from the start as it lacked any proper authorization by a House vote," White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. "It continues this scam by allowing Chairman Schiff, who repeatedly lies to the American people, to hold a new round of hearings, still without any due process for the President."

The "scam" is a power granted to Congress in Article One of our Constitution, and Congress has complete say as to how the impeachment will proceed. Apparently, the White House doesn't know this.

Apparently, the White House doesn't know the difference between an impeachment inquiry and articles of impeachment. They still can't understand that when the time comes Trump will get all the rights accorded to the accused.

Or, the White House didn't read the resolution before slamming it.

Or, the White House assumes Americans are stupid.

 

This is a very important. Republicans will have to debate Democrats on the substance of Trump's actions on Ukraine rather than the process of the impeachment inquiry.

 

Even after the hearings become public Trump will still refuse to cooperate

 

I think the only major screw up on the part of the Democrats, and it's a big one has been to selectively leak negative information and not allowing house Republicans to tell what they hear.

The only purpose in doing this is to foster negative public opinion about the president in a run up to an election.
Disgusting really..
Yes before you deny it, it is, it is as disgusting as asking a foreign leader to do the same thing.

 

For starters the Republican representatives cannot call any witnesses without the explicit approval of Schiff and a 72-hour notice. It is unclear (not stated) that Republicans other than representatives can call any witnesses. You are simply putting lipstick on Stalinist inquires.

 

Woof, woof. You are still barking up the wrong tree. Stalinist inquires?

The last line of defense..........since Don is guilty..........is saying you don't think he should be impeached for what he did. Memorize that line. You'll need it. The whole idea of bashing the process is just silly noise.

 

Bottom line -- there are not enough votes in the Senate to impeach Trump. Plus he has not committed a high crime or treason. We are seeing political theater in spades. Give the dems and the MSM an academy award.

 

What in the hell are you talking about?

 

It's obvious, the Democrats control the information coming out about these closed door hearings, we only get to hear what Pelosi and the other vermon will let us hear, so that they can sway public opinion before we get all the facts.
I had a hard time deciding on whether to use vermon. Or swine.. did i choose well?

 

Of course I do not think Trump should be impeached for what he did -- mainly win the 2016 election. The process the House is voting on is much more like a stalinist inquiry or a Star Chamber than the previous impeachment inquiries.

 

That has the sound of propaganda.

 

You chose poorly. I'm sorry you are so unaware of what's going on. I'll try to explain something that you should already know. There are over 40 Republicans at those meetings "behind closed doors". They are entitled just as the Democrats are to ask questions of all the witnesses. They are entitled just as the Democrats are to make comments after the meetings to the reporters and the press. The only reason you aren't aware of that is because you're not hearing from them. You know why you're not hearing from them? It's because they don't have a damn thing to say in defense of trump.

 

That's not true. You just can't find their comments in the MSM or by google search...

Duck duck go gives much better results.

 

What did I say that's not true?

https://www.businessinsider.com/rep...nt-hearing-but-were-allowed-to-attend-2019-10

 

http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/what-republicans-are-saying-about-interviews.563656/

 

I keep forgetting not to get in a discussion with a trumper because it will only turn into an argument.

 

the argument was made that republicans were not talking about the interviews because they had nothing to say about them and were pretty much hanging their heads in defeat.
That argument was a lie as I just proved

 

Yes, but I am curious about his excuse. Is he going to continue to make himself look ignorant by labeling an Article One Constitutional power granted to Congress a "sham?"

All that proves is how really dense Trump is.

 

Amazing the LEAST transparent administration of my 79 year lifetime is demanding others be transparent???True IRONY!!!!

 

They are not allowed to call their own witnesses.

 

They're able to hear and question the ones that are called. They're also able to speak after the sessions to give their opinions of what was said by the witness. The Republicans would like people to believe these 'behind door' meetings are held in secret from them and they're not.

 

True. If a republican is on the committee they are allowed to attend and question. But they can't call witnesses because they are in the minority. Republicans just don't like the privacy issue.

 

Grand concession... Especially given all the Republican stonewalling that has been going on.

You know as well as I do that the guy is guilty. And even though it is important to follow due process, that's a matter for politicians and attorneys to deal with. In the end we, the American People, just want to know the facts and see the consequences for any and all wrongdoing. Easy as that....