Democrats unveil resolution setting scope of public phase of impeachment inquiry of Trump

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

The House Democrats unveiled a resolution Tuesday afternoon to set the parameters of the public phase of the impeachment inquiry. They plan to vote to formalize it Thursday.

President Trump and Republican lawmakers continued to assail the impeachment process as House investigators heard testimony for the first time from a White House official who listened in on the controversial Trump call at the heart of the Ukraine controversy.

Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, a top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was expected to testify that he did not think it was proper for Trump to demand that Ukraine investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden and feared that doing so undermined U.S. national security.

Ahead of Vindman’s closed-door deposition, Trump complained about testimony from “people that I never even heard of,” while GOP allies continued to portray the process as unfair. Some also questioned Vindman’s loyalty because he was born in Ukraine.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry-live-updates/2019/10/29/225c84e8-f9de-11e9-8906-ab6b60de9124_story.html

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Full headline: Live updates: Democrats unveil resolution setting scope of public phase of impeachment inquiry of Trump, empowering Schiff to make key decisions

Copy of the resolution - https://rules.house.gov/sites/democrats.rules.house.gov/files/BILLS-116-HRes660.pdf (PDF)
Copy of Fact Sheet -https://rules.house.gov/sites/democrats.rules.house.gov/files/InquiryResolutionFactSheet.pdf (PDF)

Original article -

BREAKING: Under the resolution, the Intelligence Committee would hold public hearings, Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) could authorize longer periods to question witnesses, and minority members would get to request subpoenas, ultimately subject to a committee vote. The resolution is slated for a vote on Thursday.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

Here is the text of the "Fact Sheet" -

Key Provisions in the Resolution

Reaffirms the ongoing impeachment inquiry.

The resolution makes clear that the investigating committees have been engaged in an impeachment inquiry and directs them to continue their vital work.

Ensures transparency.

The resolution authorizes HPSCI to make transcripts of their recent depositions publicwith appropriate redactions be made for classified or other sensitive information.

The resolution establishes procedures for all investigating committees to transmit their evidence to the Committee on the Judiciary for use in their proceedings.

Enables effective public hearings.

The resolution permits staff counsels to follow their lines of inquiry to their ends by allowing for periods of up to 45 minutes per side in the questioning of witnesses.

oThis approach builds on the precedent of having staff counsels conduct initial questioning, followed by Member questions, that Republicans set for the questioning of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr in 1998.

The resolution also continues the precedent of giving the minority the same rights to question witnesses that the majority has, as has been true at every step of the inquiry.

Provides the President opportunities to participate.

The resolution establishes opportunities for the President or his counsel to participate in impeachment proceedings held by the Committee on the Judiciary, including to:

oPresent their case and respond to evidence;
oSubmit written requests for additional testimony or other evidence;
oAttend hearings, including those held in executive session;
oRaise an objection to testimony given; and
oCross-examine witnesses.

If the President unlawfully refuses to cooperate with Congressional requests, the Chair shall have the discretion to impose appropriate remedies, including by denying specific requests by the President or his counsel.

Directs the Committee on the Judiciary to review the evidence and, if necessary, to report Articles of Impeachment to the House.

Following the precedent of every modern impeachment inquiry, the Committee on the Judiciary will decide whether Articles shall be reported to the House.

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[Yavin4]

1. If Trump is withholding witnesses and requested evidence, then F*&ck NO, his lawyers cannot question

witnesses.

[nykym]

2. Get ready for republicon subpoenas

For Hilary's emails, Benghazi, Fast & Furious, Obama's Birth certificate, Democratic National Committee server in Ukraine, FBI spying on tRump and so on...

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. Not so sure about that

The rules give the minority the right to question witnesses, but I don't see any language allowing them to subpeona witnesses or documents.

[nykym]

4. It's right there in the OP under Breaking:

and minority members would get to request subpoenas, ultimately subject to a committee vote.
Of course the chair can squash it but they do have the right.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. Kick

[JudyM]

6. This is brilliant.

They clamored for public hearings and boy are they going to get them. Evidence coming straight out to the public, and if/when littleDon attempts to refute, the Dems control the process. This thwarts, as much as possible, hiding behind fake news and distortions. The more arguments they bring out, the more we shoot down, and we control the pace and the news cycle around this.

Big props to Nancy, Adam and the rest.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. And I think some of it is directed at keeping the public hearings from being derailed

by GOP circus performers like Jordan, Gaetz, and Gohmert who would love to have a Mueller hearing redux filled with grandstanding, deflections from the subject, and insults.