The impeachment inquiry resolution put forth by House Democrats includes a “loophole” that would give the majority party, or Democrats, on the Judiciary Committee the power to reject witnesses requested by the White House, Roll Call reports.
Democrats released the text of the inquiry resolution on Tuesday, which Republicans say does little to nothing to address their concerns moving forward.
According to Roll Call, a provision in the resolution gives Democrats the ability to block key witnesses requested by the White House as the process moves to the House Judiciary Committee, led by chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
Per Roll Call:
Under the House Judiciary procedures, Trump and his counsel will be invited to attend all panel proceedings and ask questions. They can also request additional evidence or witness testimony, but the “committee shall determine whether the suggested evidence is necessary or desirable.”
Inmate Tries Handing Over ‘Wad’ of Counterfeit Cash to Judge for Paying Bond
Here Are the IRS Scams You May Face This Tax Season
Communists, Democrats use #NoKings rally to call for May Day strike: ‘Shut it down’
Manufacturing has struggled since ‘Liberation Day’
Insurgent Virginia Democrat says his party is ‘completely wrong’ on gun rights and gerrymandering
Democratic lawmakers took cash from infamous ‘domestic terrorist’ Bill Ayers
Dem senator warns deportation could let Virginia woman’s illegal immigrant killer ‘escape accountability’
Trump claims donor funded White House ballroom includes hidden build below with security focus
Trump dominates CPAC poll as conservatives rally behind agenda, back Iran action
CNN Host Point Blank Asks Hakeem Jeffries If Shutdown Is Purely A Negotiating Tactic
Jaguar Makes Major Marketing Pivot After Woke Ad Disaster
Christian Father May Be Executed by Islamic Country
Passenger bomb threat triggers police response and evacuation on Frontier flight under investigation
DHS criticizes plea deal that could free migrant after guilty plea in teen assault case
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to what to expect on DHS funding when the Senate meets Monday
In other words, the provision gives Nadler and fellow Democrats on the committee power to reject White House witnesses as a form of retribution.
“While those due process rights generally align with ones afforded in the previous two presidential impeachments, they provide a big caveat that allows Democrats to strip Trump’s rights away as easily as they gave them to him,” Roll Call explains, adding that the provision applies “to Trump’s stonewalling of any ongoing probes in the Intelligence, Oversight, Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Financial Services and Ways and Means committees.”
Roll Call explains:
The provision gives Nadler broad discretion to punish Trump for stonewalling any aspect of Democrats’ impeachment investigation, not just allegations Trump withheld U.S. military aid from Ukraine to pressure the country to investigate his political rivals that are the primary focus of the inquiry.
If Trump doesn’t turn over his tax returns to the Ways and Means Committee or his financial records to the Financial Services panel — requests he and his counsel are currently fighting in court — Nadler can use his discretion to deny him and his counsel access to the impeachment proceedings.
Inmate Tries Handing Over ‘Wad’ of Counterfeit Cash to Judge for Paying Bond
Here Are the IRS Scams You May Face This Tax Season
Communists, Democrats use #NoKings rally to call for May Day strike: ‘Shut it down’
Manufacturing has struggled since ‘Liberation Day’
Insurgent Virginia Democrat says his party is ‘completely wrong’ on gun rights and gerrymandering
Democratic lawmakers took cash from infamous ‘domestic terrorist’ Bill Ayers
Dem senator warns deportation could let Virginia woman’s illegal immigrant killer ‘escape accountability’
Trump claims donor funded White House ballroom includes hidden build below with security focus
Trump dominates CPAC poll as conservatives rally behind agenda, back Iran action
CNN Host Point Blank Asks Hakeem Jeffries If Shutdown Is Purely A Negotiating Tactic
Jaguar Makes Major Marketing Pivot After Woke Ad Disaster
Christian Father May Be Executed by Islamic Country
Passenger bomb threat triggers police response and evacuation on Frontier flight under investigation
DHS criticizes plea deal that could free migrant after guilty plea in teen assault case
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to what to expect on DHS funding when the Senate meets Monday
When Roll Call asked him about the provision, Nadler remained tight-lipped, describing it simply as a “precaution” and adding, “I hope we don’t need to use it.”
As Breitbart News reported, the impeachment resolution also stifles the minority party’s ability to call on the “whistleblower” to testify, giving House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who has been conducting impeachment depositions in a secret room in the Capitol Hill basement, unprecedented power:
In addition, while chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) can reject witnesses proposed by the Republican minority, the ranking member of the minority cannot challenge witnesses called by the chair. Though the minority can appeal the chair’s decision to a vote by the whole committee, the Democratic majority virtually guarantees that Schiff’s veto would be upheld.
The House approved of the rules for the impeachment probe Thursday morning, 232-196.
Story cited here.
