McCarthy challenges Dems to obey House rule allowing minority a day for witnesses

Citing a House rule and the "fairness" promised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Republicans are demanding a day of hearings with their own witnesses in the impeachment investigation.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has maintained the authority to reject any witnesses requested by the minority.

Republicans, among other concerns, want to bolster their argument that President Trump had legitimate concern about Hunter Biden's receipt of more than $3 million from a corrupt Ukrainian firm, Burisma Holdings, while his father was Obama's point man for Ukraine policy. Joe Biden is on video boasting that he pressured the Ukrainian president to fire the general prosecutor investigating Burisma by threatening to withhold $1 billion in aid.

The Republicans also want to hear from the anonymous whistleblower who filed the complaint that triggered the impeachment inquiry. And they want to put Schiff under oath as a fact witness because of his office's contact with the whistleblower before the complaint was filed.

BizPacReview reported that in the letter, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., cites House rules that allow Republicans a day to call their own witnesses.

The GOP leaders point out that Pelosi had promised "fairness."

"Although Speaker Pelosi promised that Democrats would 'treat the president with fairness,' you have repeatedly prevented Republicans from fully and fairly examining issues central to the Democrats' 'impeachment inquiry,'" the letter says.

It was signed by nine Republicans.

McCarthy, who posted the letter on Twitter, says Schiff routinely has denied "fundamental fairness and due process" during the "sham impeachment."

He cites House Rule XI, Clause 1(a)(1)(A), which states "the Rules of the House are the rules of its committees and subcommittees so far as applicable" as well as House Rule XI, Clause 2(j)(l), which provides that "the minority members of the committee shall be entitled, upon request to the chair by a majority of them before the completion of the hearing, to call witnesses selected by the minority to testify."

The Republicans contend the Democrats' Oct. 31 resolution formalizing the rules of the impeachment inquiry does not displace the permanent House rules.

The letter came Thursday, just before Schiff hammered to a close the public impeachment hearings.

"Your failure to schedule this hearing shall constitute evidence of your denial of fundamental fairness and due process," the letter charges.

BPR cited the House rule: "The minority witness rule (Clause 2(j)(l) of Rule XI): The minority is entitled to one additional day of related hearings at which to call their own witnesses if a majority of the minority members make their demand before the committee's hearing is gaveled closed."

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