Jerry Nadler rejects Republican demands for minority hearing on impeachment

Republicans will not have a minority hearing day on impeachment, House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold L. Nadler ruled on Thursday.

As lawmakers started up the second day of debate on articles of impeachment in the House Judiciary Committee, Republicans on the panel launched a procedural fight and accused the Democrats of violating their own rules.

Rep. Doug Collins, the ranking Republican on the committee, argued House rules require the chairman to schedule a minority hearing day, where they call their own witnesses. He said Mr. Nadler ignored their request in favor of rushing through the process.

“The chairman has refused to respond to multiple additional requests that, that hearing be scheduled,” the Georgia Republican said. “It’s a farce that we having to rule on this today, but there’s no other time we’re actually taking up the articles today.”

Mr. Nadler countered that Republicans were trying to get a “broader privilege” than what is allowed and said the GOP’s witness in the first hearing — George Washington Law School professor Jonathan Turley — ensured the minority view was represented.

The chairman said he would be open to scheduling a hearing for Republicans, but would not cancel Thursday’s hearing to do so.

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“The House rule does not require me to scheduled a hearing on a particular day, nor does it require me to schedule a hearing as a condition precedent to taking any specific legislative action,” said Mr. Nadler, New York Democrat. “Otherwise the minority would have the ability to delay or block majority legislation action, which is clearly not the purpose of the rule.”