Line in the Sand: Graham Senate Resolution Against House Democrat Impeachment Process Becomes Rallying Cry

Conservatives on and off Capitol Hill have made the House Democrats’ secretive and closed-door practices a rallying cry for supporters of President Donald Trump.

Conservatives have rallied against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) impeachment inquiry by decrying the Democrats’ process and practices.

Republicans contend that few Republicans have access to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) impeachment chamber room in the basement of the Capitol building.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Breitbart News Daily host Alex Marlow that “75 percent of the entire Congress” is not allowed to enter Schiff’s impeachment room.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced a resolution Thursday to condemn House Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats’ secretive impeachment inquiry. The resolution now has every Senate Republican except for Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) cosponsoring it.

The Graham-McConnell resolution would allow President Trump the ability to confront his accusers, call witnesses on his behalf, have a basic understanding of the accusations against him, allow for House Republicans to participate in all proceedings, and give them an equal amount of authority to issue subpoenas.

Sen. Johnny Isakson’s (R-GA) office told Breitbart News in a comment Friday that he wants to ensure a “fair process” for the impeachment proceedings.

Conservative organizations have also backed Sen. Graham’s initiative, urging senators to back the resolution.

The Club for Growth announced Friday that they will “key vote” Sen. Graham’s resolution so that Pelosi “can’t deny Republicans and President Trump basic constitutional rights.”

Club for Growth President David McIntosh said a statement Friday:

Liberals know how unpopular their socialist policies are so they’re resorting to false attacks and character assassination to try to win in 2020, and it won’t work. We are asking all Senators to cosponsor S.Res. 378 and send a clear message that Nancy Pelosi can’t deny Republicans and President Trump basic constitutional rights and shouldn’t use impeachment as a crutch to overcome her own electoral challenges.

The Tea Party Patriots Action Honorary Chairman Jenny Beth Martin applauded Sen. Graham’s resolution in a statement, saying:

Three cheers for S.Res. 378, Sen. Graham’s condemnation of the House’s unprecedented so-called ‘impeachment’ action! What Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff and their cronies have done with their kangaroo court is so far beyond the pale it would be laughable, if it weren’t so serious, and we’re encouraged to see that the vast majority of GOP Senators, including the Majority Leader, have already signed on as cosponsors. What Pelosi and Schiff have done in the House is a sham. No due process, no right to confront one’s accuser, no right to cross-examine witnesses, no right to bring in one’s own witnesses, no right even to be present while witnesses are being interviewed … somewhere in Moscow, there’s a former Stalin-era ‘show trial’ ‘prosecutor’ rolling over in his grave.

Even some Republican attorneys general have backed Sen. Graham’s resolution.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge tweeted Thursday night, “When something as serious as impeachment is being discussed, it is crucial that the public have transparency in the process. Democracy dies in the dark.”

When something as serious as impeachment is being discussed, it is crucial that the public have transparency in the process. Democracy dies in the dark. https://t.co/zQ0gCTaPGU

— Leslie Rutledge (@LeslieRutledge) October 25, 2019

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry wrote Thursday, “Thank you @LindseyGrahamSC for calling out this Politburo process the House Dems have engaged in against @POTUS  @realDonaldTrump.”

Thank you @LindseyGrahamSC for calling out this Politburo process the House Dems have engaged in against @POTUS @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/pGroHmjNVX

— Jeff Landry (@JeffLandry) October 24, 2019

However, although many Republicans have backed the movement to condemn the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry practices, some conservatives have called for lawmakers to do more to combat impeachment.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) cheered Sen. Graham’s “symbolic resolution” to condemn the secret impeachment proceedings; however, Paul said the Senate Judiciary Committee should “hold hearings and subpoena witnesses to find out how this hoax got started.”

I’m fully supportive of @LindseyGrahamSC symbolic resolution to condemn the secret impeachment proceedings in the House of Reps. How about the @senjudiciary actually hold hearings and subpoena witnesses to find out how this hoax got started? Long past due!

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 24, 2019

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) said there are many House Republicans that would like Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Graham to start investigating the origins of the intelligence officer’s “whistleblower complaint.”

“There are members of the House who would like [Graham] to take that to the next level,” Zeldin told POLITICO Wednesday. “The Senate Judiciary Committee might be that vehicle to let the American people more in on what the whole story is.”