House Democrats unveil impeachment probe parameters

[FBaggins]

President Donald Trump's attorneys would be allowed to review some of Congress’s impeachment-related evidence under a set of procedures unveiled Monday by the House Judiciary Committee, part of a plan to spell out the panel’s authorities as it intensifies its consideration of articles of impeachment.

The measure, obtained by POLITICO, would also allow smaller groups of lawmakers on the Judiciary panel’s subcommittees to consider evidence -- a step that could streamline and hasten its review. It would also allow committee staff for both Democrats and Republicans to question witnesses for an extra hour, part of an effort to focus questioning and elicit more useful information.


Though the measure is largely technical — it’s titled “Resolution for Investigative Procedures” — it is the first effort by lawmakers to acknowledge the committee’s consideration of whether to recommend Trump’s impeachment, following a six-week recess in which many House Democrats expressed confusion about the status of impeachment proceedings.

Until this week, the committee had been writing in court filings that it is actively considering whether to recommend articles of impeachment against the president, the first such acknowledgement. In addition, Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) referred to his committee’s probe as “formal impeachment proceedings.” But Speaker Nancy Pelosi has continued to resist a formal impeachment inquiry, leading to confusion among some House Democrats over the Judiciary panel’s investigation.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/house-democrats-unveil-impeachment-probe-parameters/ar-AAH2fZ4?ocid=ientp

[RKP5637]

1. Speaker Nancy Pelosi confuses me some too. n/t

[RKP5637]

3. Yep, I know that feeling!!! n/t

[Bettie]

4. I find it really hard to post

what I think too.

And I'm really frustrated. If what is happening around us, what is being done by the creature in the Oval office is acceptable either there is literally nothing that could ever possibly be impeachable (when the person in office is a Republican, for a Democrat, well, we all know that it would already have happened if they had done even 1 of the things we've seen happen daily).

IF she thinks this is all OK, Speaker Pelosi should just come out and say so.

[triron]

8. I am also very tired of and confused by Pelosi's words and actions.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. I'm seeing polls out there saying that there's no appetite for impeaching Trump

but I literally can't figure it out. Even if you (somehow) think that the Mueller report is more or less a "nothing burger"- just because Mueller didn't find prosecution-worthy evidence of collusion with the Russians (GOVERNMENT)- there's very few people out there I know whom don't think that Trump is walking dumpster fire who has been an unequivocal failure as POTUS and almost everybody I know is just freakin' exhausted by him and want him gone. I wonder what the reasoning behind the lack of appetite out there for impeaching Trump? Nobody is- or should be- under the illusion that he will actually wind up being removed from office (though we won't know for sure until there is an actual inquiry), but that smacks me as a cowardly reason for the House not trying to do *something*. And if we don't do something, the next "Trump" knows that they can basically do all the same things (and probably worse) and escape consequences as long as they have loyal "foot soldiers" in Congress and in other posts to help protect them.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. Exactly

[TwilightZone]

9. It's not that hard to figure out.

If one delves further into the polls, most people think (correctly) that removal will fail in the Senate, so some see it as a waste of time and think the time would be better spent trying to oust Trump and his minions in 2020.

It's not that he isn't worthy of impeachment; it's that the process is doomed to fail at removing him from office, which many people believe should be the goal of impeachment. The argument then, as it has always been, is whether it's worth the effort, knowing he won't be removed.

On that, the public is largely split, similar to Congress. An impeachment in this instance is pretty much a purely political move, hoping that it will sway undecided voters to oust him.

"the next "Trump" knows that they can basically do all the same things"

That's already the case. A failed removal wouldn't change that, as much as people seem to insist otherwise. If Trump faces no consequences as the result of impeachment, I don't see how the "next" Trump would be swayed by the process.