Tomorrow the House is expected to vote on the protocols for moving forward into a public phase on impeachment. This needs only a majority vote, so I assume it should pass.
Tierney Sneed writes at TPM that the protocols give Trump considerable due process privileges.
The President’s lawyers would be able to respond to the presentations related to the probe given to the House Judiciary Committee. They may also be able to cross-examine witnesses in the Judiciary Committee and raise objections to the evidence being presented in those proceedings. Additionally, under the procedures, the President may offer evidence or request other testimony for the proceedings, but whether such evidence is “necessary or desirable to a full and fair record in the inquiry,” will be up to the committee.
But here’s the catch:
A provision in the package says that if the President “unlawfully” refuses “to make witnesses available for testimony to, or to produce documents requested by” the committees currently leading the impeachment probe, the House Judiciary Committee chairman will have the right to deny the due process procedures outlined in the procedures.
Hah. Here’s what else you need to know, by Li Zou at Vox:
The resolution outlines five key aspects of these procedures:
- The Intelligence Committee will release public transcripts of private depositions that it’s held with different witnesses, including potential redactions of sensitive information.
- When the House moves to public hearings for the impeachment inquiry, both the chair and ranking members of the Intelligence committee will be able to ask witness questions. The staff counsel on both sides will also have up to 45 minutes each to ask questions.
- House Republicans on the Intelligence Committee will have the ability to request subpoenas of witnesses and documents, though they will need the approval of the Democratic Chair or majority on the panel in order for their requests to go through. This is consistent with past impeachment inquiries.
- The Judiciary Committee is in charge of advancing articles of impeachment, or charges, if those are brought.
- The president and his legal representation will be able to participate in the Judiciary Committee impeachment proceedings. This includes the ability to make their case and offer evidence, request documents, cross-examine witnesses and object to testimony.
These protocols are in line with how such hearings have been conducted in the past. Note that ranking members may ask questions. Republicans are not shut out. Although to listen to them, they are. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise blasted the proposed protocols as a “Soviet-style process” that “continues to deny the White House an opportunity to participate in this process.” Which is not true, but typical.
That's some catch, that 'Catch 45!'
How fitting to hold such a vote on Halloween. How often have words of the occult used by the opposition. Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble. Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble. More and more, however, the opposition to impeachment more act as the ones possessed by an evil spell.
We will see who continue to deny the Demon in their ranks even on the day of the dead. You would think on the day we suspend disbelief in ghosts, witches, zombies and such, they might suspend disbelief in the competence and innocence of Trump. The evil spell might just be too strong to let some of them do that.
I'm thrilled the Ds added that provision to deal with the unruly. I'm sure it will be exercised, and soon – it's going to be great drama, great not-to-be-missed television. I expect the Rs to completely and unwittingly embarrass themselves on national TV.
It's great to see Pelosi and Schiff at the top of their game, refusing to be played by the evil dworks. Better than the World Series.
BTW, if you have Roku, I discovered you can get NBC News (free) on the Roku channel, which has excerpts of MSNBC, including Rachel Maddow and the other MSNBC hosts – free. I consider Rachel to be an extremely helpful guide to what's going on. A virtual pal in these dark times.
I've been a critic of Pelosi but she's a strategist. Trump can play his games in the House proceedings, but he has to abide by disclosure rules, adjudicated by the court. What a tough choice! Trump would kill for the chance to take over the televised hearings BUT he can't have a forum if he's in defiance of subpoenas.
Poor Donnie. What's a boy to do? He can't have his cake and eat it too.
Donnie is going to get a lesson in child rearing. You don't ask a child what they did wrong, you tell them what they did wrong. And you don't make threats that you won't carry through. Miss Nancy is going to enforce the lessons of mature behavior that his parents failed to instill in him during his formative years.