Shelby Talcott on October 29, 2019
Republican congressmen ripped into House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff Tuesday following a White House national security officer’s testimony regarding the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise told reporters Tuesday that the impeachment inquiry is a “one-sided, Soviet-style process.” He was joined by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and added that this was the only impeachment inquiry “in the history of our country” that was taking place behind closed doors and under such strict rules.
The two lawmakers went after Schiff after Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s testimony Tuesday, where he was expected to talk about how he objected and reported concerns about Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They accused Democrats of blocking witnesses from answering questions.
“This is an impeachment inquiry. And, in fact, Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi’s resolution confirms that it’s an impeachment inquiry, yet every other impeachment inquiry we’ve had have in the history of our country – all three – have allowed both sides to call witnesses. Have allowed the White House to participate,” Scalise told reporters. “That’s not happening right now.”
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“They’re trying to impeach a president behind closed doors without due process,” Scalise continued.
Jordan continued on, adding that Schiff prevented the lawmakers from asking the whistleblower who he spoke to and asserting that the chairman “has prevented the witness from answering certain questions we have during the deposition.”
“When we asked the whistleblower who he spoke to after important events in July, Adam Schiff said ‘no, no, no, we’re not going to let him answer this question…Look, Democrats run out and say, ‘oh, the Republicans are trying to figure out who the whistleblower is.’ We’re trying to figure out who the witness is.
The Ohio lawmaker noted that knowing who the witnesses are is important so that America “can get the facts” and “the truth.”
“It seems interesting to me that chairman Schiff is so sensitive,” Jordan said.
Schiff objected to a line of questioning from Republican lawmakers Tuesday, with Democrats contending that it was an effort by conservatives to figure out who the whistleblower is, CNN reported. Republicans pushed back and alleged that they were simply trying to get information on who Vindman spoke with.
