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.”
UN nuclear watchdog says Iran nuclear site damaged in strikes
Justice Department’s new policy saves $1.6 million in taxpayer dollars previously spent on transgender procedures
Supreme Court blocks California ban on notifying students’ parents about gender transitions
Cornyn wants to work with Trump to fix ‘broken’ immigration system if reelected
BREAKING: US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Hit by Multiple Iranian Drones
Markets Handle Iran Strikes Brilliantly as S&P 500 Has Biggest Intraday Recovery in 5 Months Finishing Positive for the Day
Trump sends official notification to Congress on strikes against Iran
Virginia Mom Allegedly Murdered by Illegal Alien with 30 Priors Only Weeks After Dem Governor Blocks ICE Cooperation
Department of Education Honors Charlie Kirk with Banner as Part of America’s 250th Birthday Celebration: ‘Heroes in American Education’
Watch: Responding to an ABC Reporter, Trump Just Issued the Coolest Wartime Quote in Presidential History – It’ll Never Be Topped
Iran Update: Trump Says Attack Is Moving Much Faster Than Expected With 1,200 Targets Hit and the Entire Iranian Navy Neutralized
Musk, xAI tout newest Grok update as only ‘non-woke’ platform: ‘Doesn’t equivocate”
Trump admin warned lawmakers Israel was ‘determined to act with or without us’ before massive Iran strikes
Tarot influencer’s claims in Idaho college murders case spark courtroom reckoning
New Jersey-bound United flight makes emergency landing at LAX after engine fire
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.
UN nuclear watchdog says Iran nuclear site damaged in strikes
Justice Department’s new policy saves $1.6 million in taxpayer dollars previously spent on transgender procedures
Supreme Court blocks California ban on notifying students’ parents about gender transitions
Cornyn wants to work with Trump to fix ‘broken’ immigration system if reelected
BREAKING: US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Hit by Multiple Iranian Drones
Markets Handle Iran Strikes Brilliantly as S&P 500 Has Biggest Intraday Recovery in 5 Months Finishing Positive for the Day
Trump sends official notification to Congress on strikes against Iran
Virginia Mom Allegedly Murdered by Illegal Alien with 30 Priors Only Weeks After Dem Governor Blocks ICE Cooperation
Department of Education Honors Charlie Kirk with Banner as Part of America’s 250th Birthday Celebration: ‘Heroes in American Education’
Watch: Responding to an ABC Reporter, Trump Just Issued the Coolest Wartime Quote in Presidential History – It’ll Never Be Topped
Iran Update: Trump Says Attack Is Moving Much Faster Than Expected With 1,200 Targets Hit and the Entire Iranian Navy Neutralized
Musk, xAI tout newest Grok update as only ‘non-woke’ platform: ‘Doesn’t equivocate”
Trump admin warned lawmakers Israel was ‘determined to act with or without us’ before massive Iran strikes
Tarot influencer’s claims in Idaho college murders case spark courtroom reckoning
New Jersey-bound United flight makes emergency landing at LAX after engine fire
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.
