Thread by @BBuchman_CNS

The House Judiciary Cmte hearing begins in just under an hour. Live-tweet thread will start here. Read the story embedded below to freshen up.
@CourthouseNews

https://twitter.com/BBuchman_CNS/status/1204804876154408960

@CourthouseNews With the very familiar crack of the committee gavel, we are underway.
@CourthouseNews

@CourthouseNews Chairman Nadler begins. "We meet to consider articles of impeachment against Donald J. Trump."

For such an important and solemn occasion, Nadler adds, it is appropriate for all members to make an opening statement, a change from the typical chair and ranking member stmt.

@CourthouseNews The first article - abuse of power.
The second - obstruction of Congress.
"Other presidents have resisted congressional oversight. The president's stonewall was absolute and without precedent in American history," Nadler says.

Does the evidence show clearly POTUS committed these acts?
Do they rise to level of high crimes and misdemeanors?
What are the consequences for our nat'l security, integrity of elections and our country if we fail to act.

Nadler: Trump had the upperhand when he spoke with Zelensky. Zelensky "badly needed our help" in the form of aid and an Oval Office mtg so he could "show the world the U.S. stands with him against Russian aggression."

Trump asked for a favor, he wanted Ukr. to announce 2 "bogus investigations," Nadler says. Into Biden, his opponent for 2020 and the conspiracy theory that Ukr. not Russia interfered in our elections.

One investigation was designed to help Trump conceal truth about 2016, the other was to help him gain advantage in the 2020 campaign, the chair says.
"Both investigations were divorced from reality and U.S. foreign policy."

President Trump eagerly does business with corrupt governments every day, Chairman Nadler remarks.

"Caught in the act, the president was forced to release the aid," Nadler says.
Trump "did everything in his power to obstruct the investigation.
He ordered every official to defy subpoenas, at his command, the admin. refused to produce a single document.
"Not one."

Trump's obstruction of Congress was "absolute" and there is "no denying" it, Chairman Nadler says.

The highest of high crimes is abuse of power and comes when a POTUS pursues his own personal interest than the public good.

Nadler: In pressuring Ukr. for a personal favor, President Trump betrayed our national security and attempted to corrupt our elections.
Trump's conduct weakened relationships with our allies and weakened America itself.

Trump's behavior is the type he will repeat "again and again" Nadler says.
Some ask why not take more time? Why is this nec. now? Why do we need to impeach the POTUS? Why not let next election handle it?
The better question, Nadler says, is: what is the risk if we do not act?

"One way or another, President Trump will not be president forever. When his grip on our politics is gone... history will look back on our actions here today," Chairman Nadler says.
#ImpeachmentHearing

House Judic Cmte Chairman Nadler: "If the president can first abuse his power and then stonewall all congressional requests for information Congress cannot fulfill its duty to act as a check and balance against the executive and the president becomes a dictator."
@CourthouseNews

@CourthouseNews Ranking member Doug Collins of Georgia (R) is delivering his opening remarks. Collins claims that the legal scholars and professors who testified were wholly against POTUS; Collins laments that he has been "lectured to" by fellow colleagues about constitutional framework

@CourthouseNews Collins says that the Zelensky has said he wasn't pressured and Collins accuses Democrats of calling Zelensky a liar. "We're tearing down a world leader. Let that sink in. When we can't make our case, we're tearing down the leader of the free world and now the leader of Ukraine."

@CourthouseNews Collins claims that members of the committee have acted out on "vendettas" against fellow members and members of the press (w/o saying his name, this is of course a reference to Devin Nunes)

@CourthouseNews Collins says the facts *are* disputed. He balks at abuse of power. Calls the articles generic, vague statements.
Collins also says Trump will be POTUS for five more years.

@CourthouseNews The only obstruction we've seen here is obstruction by Adam Schiff, Rep. Doug Collins, R-GA, says.
"The committee does not want to find the truth, that's the only obstruction here. It would be against Adam Schiff and the majority, not the president."

@CourthouseNews Again, Collins claims the speed with which this impeachment inquiry has unfolded is unprecedented. It is not. Clinton's impeachment was faster. Clinton's impeachment lasted 73 days. Trump's impeachment hit 76 days a few days ago and we haven't even gone to the floor for a vote

@CourthouseNews "This is the year you put a dagger in minority rights," Collins says.

@CourthouseNews Collins' statements tonight make my story with @KlasfeldReports from earlier today just that more poignant, in my opinion.
Take a look and read about who Collins' equal was when Nixon was impeached in the 70s. Much different time. courthousenews.com/tensions-sure-…

@CourthouseNews @KlasfeldReports And as we discussed in that article today, Rep Zoe Lofgren mentions one of Nixon’s most loyal defenders, Charles Wiggins, a California Republican. Many of Nixon's most loyal Rs in 1974 placed value on the Constitution over politics.

"POTUS has not only abused his power, he used a foreign power to do it. George Washington would likely be astonished because he warned against the insidious wiles of foreign influence," Lofgren said.

Rep. Sensenbrenner (R) is up. He says he agrees with everybody that tonight is a solemn night.
"What we're debating here, in my opinion, is the weakest case in history & yet the Democrats decide to go full speed ahead because of the clock and calendar with an incomplete record."

Sensenbrenner says Dems are "trashing the committee" and essentially, tarnishing its reputation.
Let's take a moment to remember the words of Robert McClory, a Republican committee member from Illinois who argued for Nixon’s impeachment based on his obstruction of Congress:

McClory argued in committee that the “doctrine of executive privilege has no application whatsoever in an impeachment inquiry."

“The president's position has been that he should be the sole arbiter of what is — what should be turned over and what he should not turn over,” McClory once said. “If he’s to be the sole arbiter, then how in the world can we conduct a thorough & complete investigation.'

Rep Sheila Jackson Lee is now up.
"Where truth rests, trust builds. The Constitution is a plain language set of laws that Americans for generations have adhered to and been protected by. It's a list of crimes and forbidden actions not to be taken by our governors."

The Constitution ended slavery, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee notes.
Indeed.
This is a powerful moment. This is a duly elected black woman sitting on the dais calling for the impeachment of the president 156 years after slavery ended in the U.S.
@CourthouseNews

@CourthouseNews Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee just delivered such profound remarks, it prompted another lawmaker at the dais to mouth "wow"

She said: "The bright light of this constitutional democracy dimmed because of his acts... We must reject his abuse of power."

When the commander-in-chief violates his oath, it is a continuing threat to the U.S., the cornerstone of our democracy, Rep Sheila Jackson Lee said.

Who does it matter to that the Constitution is upheld and Trump is impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress?
Rep Sheila Jackson Lee will tell you:

It matters to a waitress on an early bus to the morning shift.. to a mother kissing her young military recruit before they go off to their service for this nation, she says.

Rep Sheila Jackson Lee: "We cannot be stopped by distractions. We must rise and sacrifice. For this reason I vote aye on article 1 & 2. The America we know & love, it cannot survive this abuse. I put my faith in trust and truth. That is why we stand tonight for America's future."

DEVELOPING:
courthousenews.com/congress-bubbl…

Rep Jim Jordan, R-Ohio claims that 63 million Americans "do not like us," a reference to those people who did not vote for Trump. This also lines up w/the poster created tonight by Rs that refers to several Democrats as the "coastal impeachment squad."

Pitting Americans against one another and suggesting that only some Americans are Americans.

This messaging, arguably, tracks, for 2019.

Rep Ken Buck Colorado (R) laments Kathy Griffin's video where she held up a fake severed Trump head; laments that Democrats have said for months that they want to impeach Trump.; laments Rep Tlaib's comment "impeach the motherf---er"

Rep Karen Bass, a Democrat:
The world is watching how we handle this crisis. There are nations who are trying to reestablish Democratic governments after years of autocratic rule that are watching

What message does it send when the world watches the U.S. president harras those who testified in public? Bass asks.
The president's defenders shout "coup," "hoax" while off the record acknowledge his wrong-doing.

Rep Bass: "People from around the world understand this as autocratic behavior" she says. "They know if they step out of line they may lose their lives, or in this case, the election."

"This is not a coup and it is irresponsible to label a constitutional process a coup. The world is waiting to see if we will hold ourselves to the Democratic principles," Bass says.

Rep Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY:
We do not take this step to divide.
Some will argue the impeachment of this president will further divide an already fractured union. But there is a difference between division and clarification.

Rep Jeffries continues: America is the leader of the free world. We play that role because it is in the best interest of the national security of the U.S. We play that role because we believe in liberty and justice for all.

He continues: "We play that role because freedom is in our DNA. Freedom from oppression, from tyranny, from abuse of power. Freedom is in our DNA. "

Jeffries paraphrased G. Washington 2x tonight in remarks "The Constitution is obligatory upon us all."
The full quote from Washington: "The Constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all."

Rep Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. says "how dare" Democrats treat Trump as they have. He also referred to the inquiry as "hot garbage."
"See you in the field in 2020," Gaetz says. Upon delivering his remarks, Gaetz, Rep Johnson, Rep Ratcliffe share a smile and laugh, a nod of approval

Common in most congressional hearings but I noticed: many, many times when Dems are speaking, GOPers attention often appears divided. They frequently speak to each other for duration of D's comments. D's do this too, but in my weeks of observation at inquiry: not as often.

Rep Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana: Our radical liberal colleagues have vowed to impeach Trump and have desperately created a fraudulent... process to pursue that goal."
"We call it a sham because we don't have a better way to describe it," he says.

Rep Johnson says abuse of power is too hard to prove, it's too "amorphous."

If you're a constitutional lawyer, I invite you to weigh in on the thread here. And DM me if you like. Let's talk about how amorphous abuse of power article is.

Rep Mike Johnson predicts President Trump will win by a large margin in 2020.

Rep Eric Swalwell, D.Calif, starts his remarks by speaking about his father, a police officer. He speaks about how his father asked the mayor of the town he grew up in to move his car when it was illegally parked at a fair.
Swalwell: "My dad believed no one is above the law."

When the mayor came to Swalwell's father and asked for him to "do something" about the tickets and he refused, his father was fired.

No one is above the law, Swalwell reiterates, before zeroing in on Trump

Swalwell: "This is no longer about what the president did. We know what he did. He admitted it. This is about what will we do? My colleagues are laying the bet that the hardworking people in Dublin, California or a farmer in Wisconsin aren't following this or don't care."

Swalwell continues: "But I have faith in the American people and I know they know right from wrong, just as my father did."

The SCIF, the secure facility located near the bottom of the stairwell in the House Capitol Visitor Center, is not a bunker. It's just a secure room. There are no velvet ropes or rotted stairs heading down to cob-web laden basement. It's just. a. secure. facility. space.