House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Tuesday there will not be a full House vote on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
“There’s no requirement that we have a vote, and so at this time we will not be having a vote,” Pelosi said at a press conference Tuesday evening alongside House Intel Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA). “And I’m very pleased with the thoughtfulness of our caucus in terms of being supportive of the path that we are on, in terms of fairness, in terms of seeking the truth, in terms of upholding the Constitution of the United States.”
JUST IN: Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she just had a meeting with the House Democratic Caucus and there will be no impeachment inquiry vote by the House "at this time." https://t.co/D1Pc0tblZ8 pic.twitter.com/PtsCxmBSkT
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 15, 2019
The White House told House Democrats last week that it would not cooperate with the inquiry unless Pelosi puts the inquiry to a full House vote.
Schiff also gave an update on the impeachment inquiry, noting that additional information surrounding President Trump’s infamous call with the president of Ukraine had come to light:
Schiff says there's been "dramatic progress" in Dems' impeachment inquiry pic.twitter.com/c0iUvCOWhg
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) October 15, 2019
For the nancynabobs among us:
There is no requirement or precedent for holding a House vote before commencing an impeachment inquiry. The inquiry happens because the speaker says so. There is a historical practice of holding a House vote to grant the committee performing the impeachment inquiry subpoena power. That vote is now not needed due to standing committees already having subpoena power by existing House rule.
Legally and Constitutionally they don’t need to vote on the impeachment inquiry. I want them to call Trump’s bluff. Thrown Rudy’s ass in jail if he fails to show up.
Also, I think Pelosi is making the right choice here. Holding a House vote before the vote to impeach is simple appeasement of bullshit that will result in months of chasing moving goalposts. If the GOP really believes their argument they can take it to court, and lose.
There is no requirement ir precedent for holding a House vote before commencing an impeachment inquiry.
This coincides with what I have found in my research.
As requirements are not an issue, the only outstanding questions are political.
In that respect, I have little doubt that Pelosi and Schiff are right in depriving the Reactionaries of a list of targets in purple states.
They’ll still get that list if a vote on impeachment happens, but remember that nixon resigned before that vote took place.