Hi, @MarshaBlackburn
That's not how the Constitution defines the "Senate's job."
It's also not how the Senate rules define the Senate's job.
You do intend to follow the Constitution and Senate rules, right?
Questions? Let's have a look at the Constitution and the rules.
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That's not how the Constitution defines the "Senate's job."
It's also not how the Senate rules define the Senate's job.
You do intend to follow the Constitution and Senate rules, right?
Questions? Let's have a look at the Constitution and the rules.
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@MarshaBlackburn Art. 1, Sec. 3 of the U.S. Constitution states clearly that: “The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all impeachments.”
You can find the full text of the Constitution here: constitutionus.com
“Sole power” means that nobody else should do the work for the Senate.
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You can find the full text of the Constitution here: constitutionus.com
“Sole power” means that nobody else should do the work for the Senate.
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@MarshaBlackburn The word “Try” may be a little trickier. Perhaps that's the one giving you trouble. See⤵️
Trial (a form of the word “try”) is what happens when a court acts as a fact finder to determine what happened.
This is done by examining witnesses and documents.
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Trial (a form of the word “try”) is what happens when a court acts as a fact finder to determine what happened.
This is done by examining witnesses and documents.
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@MarshaBlackburn Now let's look at the Senate rules governing impeachment trials.
You can find them here: govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CD…
Rule VI states this ⤵️
Notice the part about how the Senate has the power to compel the attendance of witnesses.
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You can find them here: govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CD…
Rule VI states this ⤵️
Notice the part about how the Senate has the power to compel the attendance of witnesses.
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@MarshaBlackburn Now, why would the Senate have the power to subpoena witnesses if all of that was supposed to be done in the House?
It’s time to talk about the difference between investigation and trials.
The House has the sole power of impeachment.
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It’s time to talk about the difference between investigation and trials.
The House has the sole power of impeachment.
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@MarshaBlackburn This means the House decides whether it sees fit to impeach the president. But the trial happens in the Senate.
Yesterday Trump released his answer to the Articles of Impeachment.
He claimed that his advisors are "absolutely immune" from being compelled to testify.
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Yesterday Trump released his answer to the Articles of Impeachment.
He claimed that his advisors are "absolutely immune" from being compelled to testify.
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@MarshaBlackburn If the president, in fact, has the authority to refuse to comply with document request and if all of his advisors have absolute immunity and can refuse to testify, what the heck is the impeachment and removal provisions doing in the Constitution?
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@MarshaBlackburn Trump ordered the entire executive branch to refuse to comply with witness and document requests.
He also called impeachment a “dangerous attack on the right of the people to choose their president” and an attempt to interfere in the next election.
whitehouse.gov/wp-content/upl…
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He also called impeachment a “dangerous attack on the right of the people to choose their president” and an attempt to interfere in the next election.
whitehouse.gov/wp-content/upl…
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@MarshaBlackburn If "impeachment" is a dangerous attack on elections, why was it included in the Constitution?
Did the drafters of the Constitution make a HUGE mistake when they put into the constitution that the president can be impeached and tried?
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Did the drafters of the Constitution make a HUGE mistake when they put into the constitution that the president can be impeached and tried?
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@MarshaBlackburn Obviously, a trial has no meaning if the person on trial has the absolute right to order witnesses not to testify, and can release only those documents that he chooses to release.
So, @MarshaBlackburn, is that what the drafters meant when they put this into the Constitution⤵️
So, @MarshaBlackburn, is that what the drafters meant when they put this into the Constitution⤵️
@MarshaBlackburn The girl in the front row is asking very tricky questions.
@MarshaBlackburn I'm pretty sure @MarshaBlackburn knows that repeating a lie doesn't make it true.
She's participating in the Fox-Trump-GOP propaganda loop:
Lie. Repeat the lie. Get others to repeat it. People who aren't paying close attention hear it and THINK it's true.
She's participating in the Fox-Trump-GOP propaganda loop:
Lie. Repeat the lie. Get others to repeat it. People who aren't paying close attention hear it and THINK it's true.
@MarshaBlackburn Assume for a moment that the process in the House was rushed and unfair.
The solution is to have a not-rushed and fair trial.
"They didn't do their job well, so we won't do ours at all," is nonsensical.
I get what she's doing, though . . .
The solution is to have a not-rushed and fair trial.
"They didn't do their job well, so we won't do ours at all," is nonsensical.
I get what she's doing, though . . .
@MarshaBlackburn . . . @MarshaBlackburn and her @SenateGOP colleagues know that if they call witnesses (like Bolton) it will be harder to lie and cover for Trump.
Our job is to make sure that persuadable voters understand what's happening. (Don't try to persuade cult members. You'll wear out.)
Our job is to make sure that persuadable voters understand what's happening. (Don't try to persuade cult members. You'll wear out.)
@MarshaBlackburn @SenateGOP My threads are also blog posts. This one is here: terikanefield-blog.com/sole-power/
