“They were basically in a scream therapy session, denouncing what they regarded as treachery … It was total boilerplate talking points from Russia,” Welch said. He paused to correct what may have been a Freudian slip. “From Trump.”
The Republicans had amassed outside the rooms in which members of three House committees have been taking testimony in recent weeks from witnesses in the impeachment probe. They were demanding to be let in, though only committee members are permitted to enter the so-called Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.
“I say ‘scream therapy’ and I’m actually not kidding,” Welch said of the impromptu press conference outside the committee rooms. “There were not analytical categories you could land on. No factual basis. Just a lot of rage.”
As Welch, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, waited for Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper to be sworn in, the Republican members burst through the doors and ground proceedings to a halt.
“A lot of them started yelling,” he recalled. “Some of them had apparently not had enough scream therapy outside, so they continued the session.”
Though members are not allowed to bring electronic devices into the secure facility, some were holding up cellphones to take photos and videos of the room, which Welch called “shocking.”
“I mean, this was a total breach of House rules,” he said of the disruption that delayed Cooper’s testimony for much of the day.
Though Welch may have been shocked, he wasn’t surprised. “What you’re seeing here is that their defense is everything but addressing the merits of the case,” he said. “Fundamentally, their goal was not to open the process. It was to stop the process.”
In Welch’s view, the case is quite simple: Trump called on the Ukrainian government to investigate the family of a political rival, former vice president Joe Biden, and withheld congressionally authorized security assistance in order to get his way. Tuesday’s testimony from William Taylor, the ambassador to Ukraine, was “very powerful, very convincing, very detailed,” Welch said, but what really matters is what the president himself said in a July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“It all goes back to what I think is the smoking gun, so to speak — this scandal’s version of the Watergate tapes — and that’s the president’s readout of his conversation [with Zelensky],” Welch said. “It’s the president’s own words that are the most compelling evidence of what the president wanted. He said what he wanted. So someone like Ambassador Taylor was able to show how long-term and focused that was as a goal of the Trump administration.”
Though Welch called for Trump’s impeachment in July — before the Ukrainian situation came to light — he declined to say Wednesday how he would vote on whatever articles of impeachment might emerge from the current probe. “At this point my focus is not talking about how I’m going to vote,” he said. “My focus is on contributing to the effort to get evidence and have a process that meets the test of fairness for the American people.”
As for whether the Republicans who stormed the secure facility should be sanctioned in any way? “I don’t have a strong view of whether they should or shouldn’t. My goal is to move the process along,” Welch said. “I just want to get back on track.”
Disclosure: Paul Heintz worked as Peter Welch’s communications director from November 2008 to March 2011.
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Rules, protocol and even truth no longer seem to matter to a Republican Party that has sold its soul to the likes of Donald Trump. I realize that not every House Republican was part of this deplorable action, but the tacit approval of those who sit idly by watching their colleagues do everything they can to destroy our functioning government makes them equally culpable.
Thank you Peter for your well spoken and accurate assessment. It’s interesting, but when I bumped into you in Burlington earlier this week, this had not happened, but it right in line with our brief conversation. Our Constitution is being attacked and battered daily by these people and we are indeed in perilous times.
Both Parties are so dishonest and no longer care about the people they serve.
Rules, we don’t need no stinkin’ rules. We’ll keep changing them to suit our purposes. Adam Schiff theory of politics.
Secret closed hearing.
Shades of McCarthism.
It is obvious that the irony of Trump’s clown car of Congressional Republicans calling for “transparency” is lost on them. These are the same boneheads who think the earth is only 6000 years old , Climate Change is a Chinese hoax, the moon landing was faked, and that Jesus rode a dinosaur.
The folks who participated in this stunt were nothing more than a pack of trained performing hamsters trying to please their Master. Republicans are now a lawless party, intent of creating their own 1000 year Reich by any means. They used to quote the US Constitution, now they just babble whatever pablum Trump tells them to say. This is just more proof that watching Fox News can give you an electronic lobotomy.
Trump is a symptom of failed and dying democracy, the causes of which must be laid at the feet of both the Republican and Democratic parties and SCOTUS for its inane Citizens United decision.
So the desire to hold the hearings in public so the public can make up its own mind is a breach in rules? Why are the Dems so afraid of letting the public watch and make up their own mind? Do they think the public is so stupid?
I am old enough to remember watching the open congressional hearings on Watergate and it convinced me Nixon needed to leave office. I also watched the Republican hearings on impeaching Bill Clinton. Though no Clinton fan it was obvious he had not committed anything other than philandering and in today’s lens: sexual harassment.
So I say to Welch and others, stop hiding in the shadows and let us make up our minds unless you have nothing to rise to required level!
Yeah, they should be honest and forthright just like Trump… Uhh…
Peter Welch, just one of Vermont’s rich, white, male poster boys epitomizing the need for congressional term limits.
Paul Heintz, our local rump swab partisan hack who masquerades as journalist.
Were all screwed.
“Secret closed hearing. Shades of McCarthism.” The Senate McCarthy hearings were conducted in public and televised. Indeed, that was the whole point of them.
“Concerned Vermonter” is concerned that these preliminary hearings be open? Does he also demand to be present when police are questioning witnesses before charges are brought and before there is a trial?
I have no inside information, but I am confident that if the inquiry leads House leadership to decide to impeach that they WILL conduct public hearings first as well, of course, as the public floor debate which will lead up to the House vote.
“Republicans .. hauled 141 Clinton administration officials in for 568 hours of similar private depositions,” prior to voting to impeach him.” (from Dana Milbank in the Washington Post)
A House vote to impeach is the equivalent of a decision to prosecute. The actual trial, which may or may not result in conviction, is held in the Senate, under Senate rules, with the Chief Justice presiding as judge.
Andrew Napolitano: “As frustrating as it may be to have these hearings going on behind closed doors … they are consistent with the rules. … When were the rules written last? In January of 2015. And who signed them? John Boehner. And who enacted them? A Republican majority.”
What do we expect? The left mocks the idea of securing Americas southern border as something only a racist can ever support, they speak on the virtue of abortion right up to a babys due date, demand tax-payer funded gender-reassignment surgeries, the elimination of fossil fuels, free college, universal income, reparations and wants us (the taxpayer) to be responsible for $1.53 trillion in student loan debt. Its no wonder they lost “middle-America” voters in 2016. They’ve become a caricature of themselves.
This so called impeachment process is just another in a long list of the Dems’ we-have-no-agenda-so-lets-try-this gambit. The effects of this sham on voters, who wants the political class to get on with the business of the country, doesn’t matter to the left. They’re blinded with Trump Derangement Syndrome. It’s ok, 2020 is coming.
The Republicans in the senate and the House are a bunch of idiots… Their heads are so far up Trump’s ass it’s not funny!
The most telling quote in the entire article? “I don’t have a strong view…”.
Give them bread and circus…
As a mostly conservative politically and in how I view the world (take responsibility for your actions and decisions for example), the Democrats have one agenda since Trump was lawfully elected: impeaching him. Post-Trump: A growing, vibrant economy in America again, support for law enforcement on local, state and federal levels, making good on fixing our broken immigtation system despite no support from mostly Democrats who seem to think open borders is okay, challenging the anti-Semites in “The Squad, negotiating much fairer to America trade deals, well, I am impressed. Particularly since Trump did this with a corrupt FBI, CIA & DOJ. Democrats make up the rules as they go along. Once upon a time, and not all that long ago, Mueller was their golden boy who was going to bring Trump down. They failed to bring down a decent man, Kavanaugh. The Democrats write a new story full of lies and deceit every time they lose. They also continue to move the goal posts to suit their deranged agenda. It is disgusting to me to know these slimeballs are paid to do this and not do anything for Americans since Trump WON.
Gosh, we have some rabid comments. There is one accusing the Democrats of doing all the secret bad stuff in Washington. “Bringing down a decent man” might be my favorite incorrect statement. Close follow-up: “Trump did this with a corrupt FBI, CIA & DOJ.” Gosh, he’s the only one we can trust? He’s not corrupt?
The committee in that room was comprised of both parties. The ones who wanted the meeting to either stop or go public were Republicans.
I would think people would recognize that Trump and his Party are not working in our interests. Aren’t there hundreds of bills McConnell won’t let come up for discussion? What’s open and honest about that?
People sure feel strongly about this. Divide and conquer…
I forgot about McConnell and Graham.. They do as trump says. They’re his puppets like he is Putin’s and Kim Jung.. He loves the dictators because he’s acting like one himself!
Why is this a surprise? All Republicans are motivated only by hate and greed, devoid of honesty, integrity, decency or honor. This incredibly dishonest and hypocritical response by them to impeachment proceedings that are following Republican written rules just further illustrate how far they will go in order to protect Trump. Its disgusting but shouldnt be unexpected, you cant really expect vicious vermin to change who they are.
Two things have to take place in Washington, one, term limits and two, no lawyers should be allowed to hold office.