Pelosi rebuts GOP call to end Trump impeachment inquiry

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) shot down House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) call for Democrats to suspend the impeachment inquiry, noting in a written response that President Trump hours earlier had publicly asked China to investigate one of his political rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden.

“As you know, our Founders were specifically intent on ensuring that foreign entities did not undermine the integrity of our elections,” Pelosi wrote to McCarthy.

{mosads}”I received your letter this morning shortly after the world witnessed President Trump on national television asking yet another foreign power to interfere in the upcoming 2020 elections,” she continued. “We hope you and other Republicans share our commitment to following the facts, upholding the Constitution, protecting our national security, and defending the integrity of our elections at such a serious moment in our nation’s history.”

Pelosi also wrote in her letter that there is not a requirement under the Constitution or House rules, or under House precedent, that the House hold a vote before proceeding with an impeachment inquiry. 

McCarthy earlier on Thursday had argued the inquiry should not move forward without members establishing “equitable rules and procedures.” 

“I should hope that if such an extraordinary step were to be contemplated a fourth time it would be conducted with an eye towards fairness, objectivity, and impartiality. Unfortunately, you have given no clear indication as to how your impeachment inquiry will proceed — including whether key historical precedents or basic standards of due process will be observed,” he wrote. 

The exchange comes a week after Pelosi announced her support for a formal impeachment inquiry to look into allegations from a whistleblower who submitted a complaint on Trump’s interactions with Ukraine. 

The report accused Trump of pressuring Ukraine’s president to investigate Biden, something underscored by a reconstructed transcript of the phone conversation released by the White House. It also alleged that administration officials sought to cover up the call.