Scoop: Trump letter dares Pelosi to hold vote on impeachment inquiry

[babylonsister]

https://www.axios.com/white-house-nancy-pelosi-impeachment-vote-86e42e90-8405-4421-911e-a06a29382f56.html?stream=politics&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alerts_politics

Scoop: Trump letter dares Pelosi to hold vote on impeachment inquiry
Alayna Treene, Margaret Talev1 hour ago


The White House is planning to send Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter as soon as Friday arguing that President Trump and his team can ignore lawmakers' demands until she holds a full House vote formally approving an impeachment inquiry, 2 sources familiar with the letter tell Axios.

Why it matters: By putting in writing the case that Trump and his supporters have been making verbally for days, the White House is preparing for a court fight and arguing to the public that its resistance to Congress' requests is justified.

Trump wants to force House Democrats in vulnerable races to be on the record if they favor pursuing impeachment, these sources tell us.

Republicans also say the minority party can exert more influence over hearings and other aspects of an inquiry once it is formalized with a vote.

By calling this an inquiry without holding a vote, Pelosi and the Democratic committee chairmen are having it both ways, one official said. "They want to be a little bit pregnant."

Worth noting: While a letter to Pelosi and the committee chairmen had been drafted, it had not been finalized or signed as of Thursday night.

Behind the scenes: Several White House lawyers spent a good chunk of their Thursday reviewing the language in the letter, expecting that it could find its way before a judge.

Meanwhile, Pelosi maintains that there "is no requirement under the Constitution, under House Rules, or House precedent that the whole House vote before proceeding with an impeachment inquiry," as she stated in a Thursday letter to the House's Republican Leader, Kevin McCarthy.

"For several decades, impeachment investigations have frequently been conducted without a full vote,” Pelosi spokeswoman Ashley Etienne told Axios.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

[Iliyah]

1. WH usual bulling . . . .

[grumpyduck]

2. Desperation

and delay tactics.

I hope it bites them all in the ass.

[C_U_L8R]

3. They want to dictate the terms of their own trial.

Yeah right. Fuck off Trumpwart.

[Deb]

4. She should send it unopened on a slow boat to China for interpretation

[beachbumbob]

5. Doesn't need a vote, it's that constitution thing. Pelosi can

declare impeachment inquiry and bam, we have one

Screw trump, screw gop

[CousinIT]

6. Pelosi won't cop to that. She'll nicely tell the WH to piss off. n/t

[mindem]

7. It would seem to me

that if drumph and his minions can ignore lawmakers' demands on a continuing basis those lawmakers would be under no obligation to honor any request or demand from drumph. Two-way street.

[Qutzupalotl]

8. I dare Trump to stand for a fair election.

What are you afraid of? Being forever remembered as a LOSER?

[Claritie Pixie]

9. He's terrified of the "sole power" of the House.

He can't do anything about it and it's driving him mad.