Cornyn Doubts Senate GOP Has Enough Votes To Dismiss Impeachment Outright

UNITED STATES - JUNE 11: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is seen before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled "The Secure and Protect Act: a Legislative Fix to the Crisis at the Southwest Border," on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of Department of Homeland Security, testified. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
UNITED STATES - JUNE 11: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is seen before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled "The Secure and Protect Act: a Legislative Fix to the Crisis at the Southwest Border,... UNITED STATES - JUNE 11: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is seen before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled "The Secure and Protect Act: a Legislative Fix to the Crisis at the Southwest Border," on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of Department of Homeland Security, testified. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) MORE LESS
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Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) doubts there are enough votes in the Senate to quickly dismiss any articles of impeachment against President Trump.

While the first public impeachment hearing featuring acting Ukraine Ambassador Bill Taylor and top State Department official George Kent was underway in the House, Cornyn told reporters Wednesday that he doesn’t think a motion to quickly dismiss would get the 51 votes required in the Republican-controlled Senate to pass.

“There’s some people talking about trying to stop the bill, dismiss charges basically as soon as they get over here. I think that’s not going to happen. That would require 51 votes,” Cornyn said, according to The Hill.

The Hill reported that Cornyn believes it “would be hard to find 51 votes to cut the case off before the evidence is presented” and that a Senate trial is a “better course” if Trump is impeached by the House.

On the eve of the first public impeachment hearing, Cornyn took to Fox News Radio to call the impeachment hearings, which had been held behind closed doors until Wednesday, a “partisan process” while railing against House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA).

“Schiff has been interviewing people behind closed doors and then selectively leaking information that supports their narrative, finally they’re going to open it to the public,” Cornyn said during an interview with Fox News Radio host Guy Benson Tuesday. “But I don’t think anybody should be under the illusion that this is a fair process.”

Earlier this month, several Trump allies urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to ditch the notion of a fair Senate trial by dismissing the articles of impeachment outright. However, McConnell suggested Wednesday that the Senate doesn’t plan to cut short an impeachment trial because “the rules of impeachment are very clear,” according to Politico.

Last month, Cornyn shrugged off Taylor’s explosive closed-door testimony by telling reporters that he hadn’t read the career diplomat’s 15-page opening statement — which supported the quid pro quo that Trump has vehemently denied — because he believes the impeachment inquiry in general is “just an illegitimate process.”

Read The Hill’s report here.

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for ghost ghost says:

    Wait - what? Somebody was able to flush John Cornyn out of his undisclosed location long enough to corner him for a question?

  2. “Schiff has been interviewing people behind closed doors and then selectively leaking information that supports their narrative, finally they’re going to open it to the public,” Cornyn said.

    I guess he forgot the part where all Republican members in the 3 committees could be in the room and had an equal opportunity and amount of time to question witnesses. Oh, and that complete transcripts of testimony are being released. Oh, yeah, and that public hearings are now being held. And that this is just the way it worked with Nixon and Clinton, except this time it’s probably more fair.

    Lying. Piece. Of. Shit.

  3. Cornyn is starting to backpedal, just a little bit, but it will be telling to see if it continues.

  4. Who ya gonna believe - Cornyn or your lying ears?

  5. Avatar for tsp tsp says:

    Cornyn is testing the waters to set up a Senate rules declaration of a secret vote to convict. If reports are true about a good number of GOP Senators being willing to abandon T rumpp if their names are not attached to their vote, then he is a gonner. Let’s hope.

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