California Congressional Delegation Figures Prominently in House Vote to Adopt Rules for Impeachment Proceedings

“This is not about the Republican Party; this is about the Republic.” ~House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy

As House Democrats “rammed a package of ground rules for their impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump through a sharply divided House Thursday,” the measure passed mostly along party lines, 232-196, with two Democrats voting with Republicans.

No Republicans voted for the measure. The vote Thursday does not really do anything different, and does not commit that the Judiciary Committee will hold formal, legal impeachment hearings, as is the proper procedure.

The two Democratic defectors were freshman Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-N.J., and Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn. a 15-term veteran, and one of his party’s most conservative members, AP reported. Both represent GOP-leaning districts.

California Congressional Democrats Josh Harder, TJ Cox, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter, Harley Rouda, and Mike Levin voted with Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff, solidifying the illegal closed-door process being run by Schiff.

“With today’s vote, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats have done nothing more than enshrine unacceptable violations of due process into House rules,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.

This was not a vote on Articles of Impeachment. However, the vote solidified that only Democrats support impeachment of President Donald Trump.

California House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy holds press conference on fake ‘Soviet’ House impeachment

“This is not about the Republican Party; this is about the Republic,” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said in a press conference after the fake “Soviet” House impeachment. “No one should ever go through this again. We believe in the rule of law, but unfortunately in Nancy’s House, we do not.”

Asked if House Republicans will go on the record and defend the President, all of the Republican House members at the press conference said “yes” in unison.

McCarthy said the only person in Congress withholding information and withholding the whistleblower is California Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff.

“No one should ever go through this again. We believe in the rule of law, but unfortunately in Nancy’s House, we do not.” 

Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Doug Collins (R-GA), and Jim Jordan (R-OH), spoke at the press conference and said despite this vote, Schiff will continue to hold secret hearings with his secret witnesses and secret transcripts. They all warned that with no press, members of the public or the President’s attorneys in the room, this is not justice; it is just a partisan power play.

During the vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stood by a giant placard of an American flag and declared, “What are we fighting for? Defending our democracy for the people.”

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), accused Democrats of being part of a “cult,” saying Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is their leader.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) concurred. “Looks like Speaker Pelosi & House Dems got a bipartisan impeachment vote – just not the one they wanted. It seems even some members of the Democratic caucus recognize this scheme to impeach President @realDonaldTrump for what it is – a sham,” LaMalfa Tweeted.

The California Congressional Democrats were silent on Twitter following the vote. However, it was reported that immediately following the vote, Congressional staffers ran around telling Democrats not to cheer or clap.

Looks like Speaker Pelosi & House Dems got a bipartisan impeachment vote – just not the one they wanted.

It seems even some members of the Democratic caucus recognize this scheme to impeach President @realDonaldTrump for what it is – a sham. https://t.co/7yfDMVsRfP

— Rep. Doug LaMalfa (@RepLaMalfa) October 31, 2019

“It gives veto authority by the chair to literally reject any witness that is brought forward by the minority,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said of the resolution. “Not only did every single Republican reject this soviet-style impeachment process, but we were joined by Democrats who couldn’t stand it anymore.”

‘Fake’ Whistleblower Revealed

Real Clear Investigations revealed Wednesday the White House whistleblower is Eric Ciaramella. “Federal documents reveal that the 33-year-old Ciaramella, a registered Democrat held over from the Obama White House, previously worked with former Vice President Joe Biden and former CIA Director John Brennan, a vocal critic of Trump who helped initiate the Russia ‘collusion’ investigation of the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.”

“RealClearInvestigations is disclosing the name because of the public’s interest in learning details of an effort to remove a sitting president from office. Further, the official’s status as a ‘whistleblower’ is complicated by his being a hearsay reporter of accusations against the president, one who has “some indicia of an arguable political bias … in favor of a rival political candidate” — as the Intelligence Community Inspector General phrased it circumspectly in originally fielding his complaint.”

Notably, before the resolution vote, 110 Members were allowed to participate in the investigation. Now, only 22 Members will be allowed to participate, meaning hundreds of millions of Americans won’t have their Representative involved in this partisan process, Rep Mike McCaul Tweeted.

Before Pelosi’s partisan resolution= 110 Members allowed to participate in investigation

After Pelosi’s partisan resolution=22 Members allowed to participate in investigation

Fewer members involved = fewer voices of the American people in this serious matter of impeachment.

— Michael McCaul (@RepMcCaul) October 29, 2019

UPDATE: If you want to see how your representatives voted, HERE is the actual roll call vote.

California Representatives didn’t fare well: Of the 53 members, 46 Democrats voted to pass the impeachment rules, and 7 Republicans voted no.

YES VOTE – California House Democrats: Rep. Jared Huffman, John Garamendi, Mike Thompson, Doris Matsui, Ami Bera, Jerry McNerney, Josh Harder, Mark DeSaulnier, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Lee, Jackie Speier, Eric Swallwell, Jim Costa, Ro Khanna, Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, Jimmy Panetta, TJ Cox, Salud Carbajal, Julia Brownley, Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, Tony Cardenas, Brad Sherman, Pete Aguilar, Grace Napolitano, Ted Lieu, Jimmy Gomez, Norma Torres, Raul Ruiz, Karen Bass, Linda Sanchez, Gil Cisneros, Lucille Royball-Allard, Mark Takano, Maxine Waters, Nanette Barragan, Katie Porter, Lou Correa, Alan Lowenthal, Harley Rouda, Mike Levin, Juan Vargas, Scott Peters, Susan Davis.

NO VOTE – California House Republicans: Doug LaMalfa, Tom McClintock, Paul Cook, Devin Nunes, Kevin McCarthy, Ken Calvert, Duncan Hunter.