Can’t we just all get along?
House Democrats and Republicans may have hit a new low during the House Judiciary Committee impeachment mark up debate.
The all-day affair ended shortly after midnight when Chairman Jerry Nadler decided to recess until 10 am Friday morning.
Democrats are accusing Republicans of dragging the hearing out so that fewer Americans see the actual vote, and Republicans are accusing Democrats of postponing the vote so that it is covered in primetime, or in “daylight” as Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) put it.
"It is now very late at night," Nadler said shortly before midnight in D.C. "I want the members on both sides of the aisle to think about what has happened over these last two days and to search their consciences before we cast their final votes. Therefore, the committee will now stand in recess until tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., at which point I will move to divide the question so that each of us may have the opportunity to cast up-or-down votes on each of the articles of impeachment, and let history be our judge."
Nadler’s decision to end the marathon markup infuriated House Republicans, prompting Ranking Rep. Doug Collins (R) to unload on Nadler.
"Mr. Chairman, there was no consulting with the ranking member on your schedule for tomorrow -- you just blew up schedules for everyone?" Collins asked incredulously. "You chose not to consult the ranking member on a scheduling issue of this magnitude? This is the kangaroo court we're talking about. Not even consult? Not even consult? 10 a.m. tomorrow?"
Collins then held a press conference, telling reporters: “This is why people don't like us. This crap like this is why people are having such a terrible opinion of Congress. What Chairman Nadler just did, and his staff, and the rest of the majority who sat there quietly and said nothing, this is why they don't like us. They know it's all about games. It's all about the TV screens. They want the primetime hit. This is Speaker Pelosi and Adam Schiff and the others directing this committee. I don't have a chairman anymore. I guess I need to just go straight to Ms. Pelosi and say, what TV hit does this committee need to do? This committee has lost all relevance. I'll see y'all tomorrow."
Florida Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (R) laid the blame firmly on Republicans, accusing them of dragging out the hearing and forcing a vote in the middle of the night.
“Republicans dragged out today’s markup to last 13 hours & force us to vote in the middle of the night. Instead, we will vote tomorrow morning in the light of day in front of the American people,” tweeted Rep. Mucarsel-Powell
In the end, and as CNN reported, “the decision was made to hold the final two votes Friday morning to ensure more people would be able to witness the historic move -- even though it enraged the GOP.”
This was all just some political media play.
