How Maryland Representatives Voted On Impeachment Inquiry

MARYLAND — The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved eight pages of procedures to take the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump to nationally broadcast public hearings. This is how representatives in Maryland voted:

• Rep. Anthony Brown, Democrat: Yes
• Rep. Andy Harris, Republican: No
• Rep. Steny Hoyer, Democrat: Yes
• Rep. Jamie Raskin, Democrat: Yes
• Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, Democrat: Yes
• Rep. John Sarbanes, Democrat: Yes

The resolution defining the scope of the next phase of the inquiry was approved mainly along party lines, 232-196. Maryland was no exception, with the state's lone Republican in the House the only nay in the Free State.

Hoyer called the Republicans voting against the resolution "disappointing," which he alleged was "consistent with their refusal to defend the Constitution and uphold their oath of office."

The Maryland Democrat, who is also the House Majority Leader, explained the purpose of the resolution: to lay out the procedures for public hearings.

"Today, the House passed a resolution laying out the process and procedure for public hearings as the House prepares to move to the next phase of the impeachment inquiry, when the American people will hear directly from witnesses about this President’s abuse of power," Hoyer said.

"It will ensure that all the facts are gathered and heard, it will provide both Democrats and Republicans with the opportunity to question witnesses and introduce evidence, and it will set out a clear process by which the relevant committees will report their respective findings to the Judiciary Committee for the purpose of evaluating all the information and determining a responsible path forward," Hoyer said. "This step will allow committees to take their work to the next stage and bring the American people all the facts."

Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-3) released this statement after the House of Representatives passed the resolution:

Baseless complaints that the #impeachmentinquiry is invalid and that the minority has been shut out must end today. Looking forward to the open hearings that provide @realdonaldtrump his due process and allow all of us to #followthefacts. #ImpeachmentVote #ImpeachmentResolution
— Dutch Ruppersberger (@Call_Me_Dutch) October 31, 2019

The House will move ahead with impeachment proceedings against Trump after a government whistleblower's claims the president used the power of his office to solicit a foreign government to influence the 2020 U.S. election. Much of the testimony and documents released after the claim have supported the whistleblower's account.

The impeachment effort has focused on three panels — Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight and Reform. In closed-door hearings that included Republicans on the committees, investigations have centered on how Trump urged Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, now running for president, while withholding nearly $400 million in military aid.
An investigation by the Judiciary Committee has focused on possible obstruction of justice by the president, based on episodes described in special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Provisions in the resolution allow Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the Intelligence committee's chairman, and Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the panel's top Republican, to each question witnesses for up to 90 minutes or delegate their time to staffers before rank-and-file lawmakers each ask questions for five minutes.

Republicans on the Intelligence and Judiciary committees could subpoena witnesses and documents, subject to the chairman's approval, and Republicans could ask for a committee vote.

The vote came as Tim Morrison, Trump's former top adviser for Russian and European affairs, arrived on Capitol Hill to testify before the House. Morrison, who left his job Wednesday, served on the National Security Council and is the first White House political appointee to testify. His testimony was scheduled behind closed doors, but he could provide information that is central to the push to remove Trump from office. Specifically, he will be asked to explain the "sinking feeling" he said he got when Trump demanded Ukraine's president investigate former Biden and his son over business dealings in Ukraine.

The resolution approved Thursday directs the House Intelligence Committee to hold the public hearings and write a report that will be handed off to the House Judiciary Committee, which would then draft articles of impeachment.

If the House moves forward, the Republican-controlled Senate would decide whether to remove Trump from office.

— By Beth Dalbey and Elizabeth Janney