General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat does the GOP get out of an official impeachment inquiry vote?
Do GOP house members gain the ability to make a farce of the whole process or something? Like subpoena powers? Is that why they are asking for an official vote? Or are they just wanting to be able to point to a 100% no vote from the GOP and maybe a few Dems?
If they get more powers to cause havoc does anyone have a source that outlines what they are?
It kind of looks like to me that the "no house-wide vote" is what the Republican Senators plan to use as an excuse if there were to be impeachment charges on obstruction of Congress. I mean, they know that's bullshit, but even Mike Pence is using that excuse in his refusal to comply. Since the House can easily hold such a vote, it seems like the GOP must be expecting it to give them something very useful.
Raven123
(4,864 posts)Just guessing
spanone
(135,874 posts)brush
(53,868 posts)Let them make their sentiments known on the the actual Ariticles of Impeachment and stop the phony posturing on a vote that the Speaker doesn't have to hold as it's not required by the Constitution. She runs the House, not them.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)1 - A formal vote on impeachment can give subpoena power to the minority (Republicans) (See: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-10-07/subpoena-power-republicans-want-house-vote-impeachment-inquiry-pelosi-doesnt ).
2 - It forces Congress members to take sides which can be a political advantage.
pbmus
(12,422 posts)Imperialism Inc.
(2,495 posts)That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)I've seen several posts and conjectures that a formal House vote "might" or "could" give the minority subpoena power. Yes, during the Nixon and the Clinton impeachment proceedings, the minority had the power to propose subpoenas, subject to a full vote of the committee. Since then, however, Republicans changed the rules for committee proceedings, arrogating to the majority virtually all power in the committee. If impeachment proceeds under the Republican rules, the minority won't have any more power in the committee than it does now, which is el zilcho. #legaltermofart
pbmus
(12,422 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)We don't know what would be in any "impeachment authorization" bill or motion, but I'm confident that Pelosi wouldn't bring something to a floor vote that would give away the power the majority now enjoys courtesy of the changes the Republicans instituted in (I want to say) 2015.