US House plans vote to formalize impeachment proceedings

  29 October 2019    Read: 1061
US House plans vote to formalize impeachment proceedings

House Democrats have announced they will vote on Thursday to formalize procedures for the next phase of their impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump, Azvision.az reports citing Sputnik.

House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-MA) said in a Monday statement the committee was readying a resolution for Thursday that will "ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward" for the impeachment inquiry headed by the US House of Representatives.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) elaborated in a statement of her own shortly thereafter, saying, "This week, we will bring a resolution to the floor that affirms the ongoing, existing investigation that is currently being conducted by our committees as part of this impeachment inquiry, including all requests for documents, subpoenas for records and testimony, and any other investigative steps previously taken or to be taken as part of this investigation."

"This resolution establishes the procedure for hearings that are open to the American people, authorizes the disclosure of deposition transcripts, outlines procedures to transfer evidence to the Judiciary Committee as it considers potential articles of impeachment, and sets forth due process rights for the president and his counsel," Pelosi's statement continues. "We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives. Nobody is above the law."

The move comes just hours after Deputy National Security Adviser Charles Kupperman refused to appear before the trio of House committees carrying out the impeachment inquiry to give a deposition. Kupperman filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking guidance from a federal judge following the House's subpoena, which the White House had previously directed officials not to obey. Having not received an answer, the adviser declined to appear, as he noted in the lawsuit he “cannot satisfy the competing demands of both the legislative and executive branches.”

"We are not willing to allow the White House to engage us in a lengthy game of rope-a-dope in the courts," House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff said Monday after Kupperman failed to appear. "We expect that the court will make short shrift of that argument, but nonetheless, we move forward."


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