Thread by @BBuchman_CNS

Rep Ratcliffe back up.
"So no pressure, no demands, no conditions, nothing corrupt. Nothing. Nothing on the call. That's what we heard Zelensky say."

Note - We still havent seen the full transcript of the call.

Ratclifffe: Now we're hearing if he didn't lie, he couldn't possibly risk military aid, he'd do anything to secure it. The hole in that argument: what did Zelensky actually do to get the aid? He did nothing. He didn't open any investigations, didn't call AG Barr.

Rep Speier notes how Taylor earlier discussed that a WH mtg would boost Zelensky's ability to negotiate w/Russia.
Speier: Zelensky still hasn't had that meeting. Yet Lev Parnas had a meeting in WH after participating in campaign events.
cc: @KlasfeldReports

@KlasfeldReports Republican lawmakers have been steadily outraged at the summary Schiff delivered regarding Trump's call during a committee hearing 4 weeks ago.
But today, I have heard some of these same lawmakers claim Trump "has been impeached" since day 1.

While we're being sticklers about language: Trump has not been impeached by Congress since day 1.

I know what is being suggested. I'm not dense. Neither are you. But again, my observation is on the cherrypicking.

Rep Swalwell is up.
Both Kent and Taylor have testified that they are not direct witnesses, but they are witnesses to a shakedown scheme.
Bolton/Mulvaney both have spoke directly to Trump and unlike Kent/Taylor, they've refused to be part of proceedings.

Swalwell to Taylor, as Mulvaney suggested, is this conditioning something we do all the time?
Taylor: No it is not.

Funds must be well spent, must go toward dealing with sound policy decisions or in event that rec'ing country takes actions in our nat'l interest.

Swalwell on the conditioning of aid: Can we agree that it's just wrong?
Taylor hesitates for just a moment and then unequivocally:
"Yes."

Swalwell referencing Mulvaney Oct 17 presser comment adn asks So, should we get over it?
Taylor: If we're talking about political influence, to get information that is solely useful for political campaigns, if that's what we're talking about, we should not.
@CourthouseNews

@CourthouseNews Kent and Taylor both say they are NOT "Never Trumpers."

They've got more than 40 years of collective foreign service experience and have served under various political administrations.

@CourthouseNews On the anticorruption statement from Ukr.:
Kent: Not the one about investigations, a draft was shared with Giuliani, but because it didn't mention Burisma or 2016, Giuliani said it wouldn't be acceptable.

@CourthouseNews Rep Castro is up.
POTUS committed extortion or bribery of a foreign official or attempted extortion or bribery of a foreign official.
When Trump got Zel on the phone on July 25, he was talking to a desperate man. Is that right? He needed foreign assistance.

Taylor: Zel is very interested in U.S. support.
Then in response to Q by Castro about what would have happened to Ukraine if aid never came:
Taylor: He would have been much weaker on the battlefield against Russia.

Would Russia use this vulnerability as a means to attack Ukr?
Taylor explains that this is possible, it would fall in line with Russia's typical position toward Ukr.

@CourthouseNews Castro: Is attempted murder a crime? Is attempted robbery a crime?
Taylor, including Kent in his response: Yes. Neither of us are lawyers, but we think that's right.
Castro: Is attempted extortion or bribery a crime?
Taylor: I don't know sir.

@CourthouseNews Republican rep says its not an abuse of power by president to remove an ambassador who he doesn't like, it's POTUS constitutional right/authority. Asks Kent, isn't that right?
Kent says it's his job to answer questions today, it's Congress job to decide constitutionality

@CourthouseNews Ratcliffe asks Schiff to engage in a colliquy with him about the whistleblower. Schiff says Ratcliffe's should question the witnesses.
Swalwell calls point of order. According to the inquiry resolution, questioning the chairman is not permitted.

@CourthouseNews Schiff recommends they move on. Ratcliffe keeps at it and asks Schiff, when GOP will find out all of the details about this that Dems already know.
Schiff suggests Ratcliffe return to questioning and use his time well.

@CourthouseNews Momentary break from live-tweeting, folks.

@CourthouseNews Did Taylor or Kent think Trump's call with Zelensky was "perfect."
Neither of the career foreign service officials agreed that it was perfect. It raised concerns.

@CourthouseNews We're getting into closing remarks now.

@CourthouseNews Nunes is lamenting that the whistleblower is not being brought before the committee as well as those he describes as "numerous democratic operatives."

@CourthouseNews Schiff thanks Kent and Taylor for their service, their willingness to relate what they heard and saw w/o additional commentary. They were compelled to appear and he says committee is grateful they chose to respond lawfully.

@CourthouseNews Schiff recapping what Taylor and Kent spoke to today: military aid was conditioned, WH visit was conditioned. And all of this happened to a country that was at war.

@CourthouseNews Schiff asks: Are we prepared to accept a situation where the POTUS or another political rep can condition military aid or any other performance of an official act in order to get help in their campaign/election?
This is what motivated the inquiry, he argues.

@CourthouseNews While witness testimony has concluded for today, lawmakers will shortly weigh a motion from the minority seeking whistleblower's testimony.

@CourthouseNews They have tabled the motion now. We are adjourned. Updated story to come for @CourthouseNews.
cc: @KlasfeldReports

A handful of protestors gathered near the entrance of the Longworth building where the hearing was unfolding inside with signs calling for Trump's removal.

Linda Marcialls-Morselli (Right), a U.S. citizen who currently lives in Venice, came to Washington, D.C. last week ahead of the public hearings. She showed up Wednesday as a "concerned citizen," she said.

Incidentally, Venice experienced its worst flooding in 50 years on Wednesday, with over half of the city submerged after a deluge of heavy rains and extraordinarily high tides.

In addition to the Ukraine scandal, Marcialls-Morselli said it was the president's refusal to take climate change seriously that continues to spur her activism.  

"I tell people in Italy, he's not just dangerous to the U.S., he's a danger to the world," she said.

Marcialls-Morselli hopes the inquiry will end in a vote for impeachment by the House but she is cynical about its future in the Senate.

"Unless there is some kind of mass convergence of people, they will acquit him in the Senate," she said. "We've never had the removal of a U.S. president before but I think it's time. This man is a danger to us all."

In case you were thirsty.

The Daddy Will Never Love You is very strong, unlike someone's father's love, apparently.

STORY UPDATED. Catch up on what happened today inside the hearing and find out what Senators had to say about the future of impeachment:
courthousenews.com/democracy-on-t…