On Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “MTP Daily,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said he was not sure if every House Democrat will vote for the impeachment inquiry resolution scheduled for Thursday.
On the need for a formal vote on the impeachment inquiry tomorrow, host Chuck Todd said, “There are some members, he’s not alone, he voiced it, that not everybody’s convinced you need this vote tomorrow. Make the case.”
Hoyer said, “They’re correct. We don’t need the vote tomorrow. The court has indicated that we can proceed as we have been proceeding. However, what Jerry didn’t mention is we are contemplating changing from what is essentially the investigatory phase of this matter into the open hearing—public hearing—phase of the consideration of whether or not there is evidence to believe that the president has committed high crimes and misdemeanors.”
“And in that public hearing, we want to make sure that everybody understands this is going to be due process,” he continued. “This is going to be fair. It’s not going to be like the trial in the Senate, but it will be a forum in which the president is given the opportunity to call witnesses, to cross-examine, to have his representatives present. And for the president himself to be present. So this is … in the fact that this is a procedural matter, it’s not necessary to carry out our constitutional duties, but we think appropriate.”
When asked if he expected all House Democrats to vote for the impeachment inquiry, Hoyer said, “I hope we don’t lose any Democrats.”
He added, “Jim Clyburn and I have talked, and I don’t know whether we’re going to get every Democrat.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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