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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 29 OcTOber 2019

House Democrats plan 1st formal vote on impeachment inquiry

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, peachment inquiry will
ERIC TUCKER and LISA MAS- move forward, with or with-
CARO out testimony from Kupper-
Associated Press man and other witnesses.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have indicated
House Democrats are lay- that they are likely to use
ing the groundwork for no-show witnesses to write
the next phase of their im- an article of impeach-
peachment inquiry with a ment against Trump for ob-
vote this week on a reso- struction of justice, rather
lution to affirm the investi- than launching potentially
gation, set rules for public lengthy court battles to ob-
hearings and outline the tain testimony.
potential process for writing "We are not willing to allow
articles of impeachment the White House to engage
against President Donald us in a lengthy game of
Trump. rope-a-dope in the courts,
House Speaker Nancy Pelo- so we will move forward,"
si announced a vote on the Schiff said.
resolution, which would be Two current National Secu-
the first formal House vote rity Council staff members,
on the impeachment in- Alexander Vindman and
quiry. It aims to nullify com- Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., center, speaks with members of the media after former deputy na- Tim Morrison, are sched-
plaints from Trump and his tional security adviser Charles Kupperman signaled that he would not appear as scheduled for uled to appear this week
a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald
allies — amplified last week Trump, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. and would be the first
when Republicans stormed Associated Press White House employees to
a secure room used for testify in the inquiry. Morri-
impeachment interviews ment proceeding, refusing Senate Republicans, Bolton, failed to show up son's attorney, Barbara Van
— that the process is illegiti- to give the President due meanwhile, took a wait- for the scheduled closed- Gelder, said in an email
mate, unfair and lacking in process, and their secret, and-see approach. Sen. door deposition after filing Monday that if Morrison is
due process. shady, closed door deposi- Ron Johnson of Wisconsin a lawsuit asking a federal subpoenaed, he will ap-
Despite the move toward tions are completely and ir- said it was a "good thing" court in Washington to rule pear.
a vote, Democrats insisted reversibly illegitimate," said the House was consider- on whether he was legally The argument advanced
they weren't yielding to White House press secre- ing a vote. But when asked required to appear. In a by Kupperman's lawyers
Republican pressure. Pe- tary Stephanie Grisham. if Trump should cooperate statement, Kupperman turns on his status as a close
losi dismissed the Repub- Pelosi did not release the fully once it passes, he re- said he was awaiting "judi- adviser to the president
lican arguments against text of the resolution but plied, "I'll leave that up to cial clarity." and may not be available
the inquiry, including that said it would establish pro- the White House." House Intelligence Chair- for other administration of-
impeachment can't begin cedure for public hearings, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas man Adam Schiff said Kup- ficials who are lower down
without formal approval authorize the disclosure said the impeachment pro- perman's suit has "no basis the executive branch or-
from the House. of closed-door deposition cess had been "disrepu- in law" and speculated ganization chart or who did
"I do not care. I do not transcripts and set forth table from the beginning." that the White House didn't not have regular contact
care. This is a false thing "due process rights for the Like other Republicans, he want him to testify because with Trump.
with them," Pelosi told re- President and his Counsel." wanted the full details. his testimony could be in- Kupperman, his lawyers
porters in the Capitol. "Un- It's unclear if that means Many government officials criminating. Democrats are say, met with and advised
derstand it has nothing to that White House lawyers have cooperated with the investigating Trump's pres- Trump on a regular basis
do with them. It has to do will be able to interview wit- inquiry despite Trump's or- sure on the Ukrainian gov- and therefore cannot be
with how we proceed." nesses, or if Republicans will ders. But Pelosi's announce- ernment to pursue political- compelled to testify.
Trump has cited the lack be able to call their own. ment came just hours af- ly motivated investigations Schiff said over the week-
of a House vote as a rea- Republicans have noted ter a former White House as the administration was end that he wants Bolton to
son to refuse cooperation that the minority had those national security official also withholding military aid testify, though that has not
with the impeachment in- powers in previous im- defied a House subpoena to the country. yet been scheduled. He
vestigation. In the wake of peachment investigations. for closed-door testimony, "If this witness had some- told ABC's "This Week" on
Pelosi's announcement, the House critics of the process escalating the standoff be- thing to say that would be Sunday that Bolton, who,
White House said nothing were unmoved. Rep. Steve tween Congress and the helpful to the White House, according to other witness-
had changed. Scalise, the No. 2 House Re- White House over who will they would've wanted him es, had concerns about
Pelosi "is finally admitting publican, said Pelosi is "ad- testify. to come and testify," Schiff the Ukraine policy, "has
what the rest of America mitting guilt" by holding a Earlier Monday, Charles told reporters. "They plainly very relevant information."
already knew — that Dem- vote. "The problem is, they Kupperman, who was a don't." But he predicted that the
ocrats were conducting are already starting a taint- deputy to former nation- Schiff said the three com- White House would fight a
an unauthorized impeach- ed process," he said. al security adviser John mittees leading the im- Bolton appearance.q