House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) just revealed the red line that the Trump administration must cross in order for him to support the commencement of impeachment proceeding against the president.
Speaking in an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union this morning, the Democratic congressman told host Jake Tapper that it would take the administration’s refusal to comply with a final court ruling compelling the submission of requested documents and the testimony of subpoenaed witnesses for him to join the more than 75 House members who have already called for impeachment to begin.
“We may get there- a third of our caucus is there- what would get me to that point is if we get to a final court decision compelling the administration to provide testimony and documents and they refuse, then I think we’re in a full-blown constitutional crisis,” Schiff told Tapper. “I may get there before that point… but at this point I’m not prepared to recommend it.”
Representative Schiff’s indication of his bottom line on impeachment demonstrates that he is likely to continue to support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to hold off on beginning impeachment proceedings until a majority of the public — and of her Democratic caucus – are loudly demanding it.
With polls indicating that 67% of Democratic voters are already onboard the impeachment train, that time will hopefully come sooner than the justice system comes to a decision on the Trump administration’s compliance with the congressional requests for information and testimony.
You can watch an excerpt of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on CNN‘s State Of The Union in the video below.
Rep. Adam Schiff on the growing calls for the impeachment of President Trump: “At this point, I'm not prepared to recommend it” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/pstWOlSmrS
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 23, 2019
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Original reporting by Zack Budryk at The Hill.