Acting Chairwoman Maloney Issues Statement on Impeachment Resolution

Oct 31, 2019
Press Release

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 31, 2019)—Today, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the Acting Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 232 to 196 to adopt a resolution that provides a clear path forward as the House enters the next phase of the inquiry, including open hearings:

“My Republican colleagues have argued that we should not be having closed-door depositions, but instead should be having public hearings.

“Of course, Republicans have used depositions for decades.  One former Republican chairman of the Oversight Committee, Dan Burton, conducted more than 140 depositions when President Clinton was in the White House.  Other Republican chairmen have done the same—Chairman Issa, Chairman Chaffetz, and Chairman Gowdy.

“This resolution sets forth the process for public hearings, so my Republican colleagues should have supported it.  

“Republicans also complain that deposition transcripts have not been released to the public.  Of course, when they were investigating Benghazi, they did exactly the same thing.

“Today’s resolution provides for the public release of these transcripts.  So, again, they should have supported it.

”The Republicans argue that the entire impeachment inquiry should not exist without a vote of the House.  

“This claim has been completely debunked.  The Constitution gives the House the ‘sole power of impeachment.’  And a federal court made clear last week that ‘a House resolution has never, in fact, been required to begin an impeachment inquiry.’

“Today, my Republican colleagues had the opportunity to cast their vote on the House floor.  Unfortunately, they decided against honoring their promise to protect and defend their Constitution.”  

116th Congress