About before this is a show unfortunately today the witness who is supposed to be the star witness chose to take a pass and let a staff answer for that hes chairman of a point of order and usually mr chairman the point of order you know moves to this point of order is chairman because to do one of ruhleben requires you. To schedule a minority hearing day not to consider it not to meet to discuss it but to schedule one and to schedule it in a reasonable time not after articles have been drawn not after theres been a vote on articles of impeachment i enquire and insist mr chairman that you immediately schedule a minority hearing day or tell us why you are of the gentleman ignoring the rules gentlemen we were weve already gone through that but i peek it is not a point proper point of order in todays hearing as i have told the ranking minority members several times in considering the even aris request if you think we would be violating the rules of the house if we consider the articles of
Articles of impeachment for only the fourth time in American History. Joining me now for our coverage, Andrea Mitchell in washington, jeff bennett on capitol hill and Hallie Jackson at the white house. Well hear from former u. S. Ambassador to russia and nbc news analyst michael mcflaw, president ial historian and former u. S. Attorney and nbc news legal analyst. Jeff, set the scene. This is a very different hearing to those weve seen thus far. Youre right about that, lester. Good morning. Think of this as a day of final arguments in the life of the trump impeachment inquiry. Today Committee Members and for that matter the American Public will hear from Committee Staffers for democrats and republicans of the house intelligence and how Judiciary Committee. Those attorneys will lay out all of the evidence that house investigators have compiled over the past several months. Democrats will also make the case for the legal right and responsibility as they see it for pushing ford with impeac
Offense. The counsel will outline the facts and the evidence. Did President Trump abuse his power when he pressured ukraine to investigate joe biden and the democrats . And what about his refusal to cooperate in any way with this impeachment investigation . Mary bruce is there on capitol hill, and after this marathon day of hearings, the democrats will get down to the final drafting of these impeachment articles. Reporter and todays hearing is likely their last chance to try to convince the American Public that the president abused his power and should be impeached before they introduce and vote on those charges. Now democrats have spent the weekend hunkered down here at the capitol preparing for this final push. They will turn this hearing room into a highstakes courtroom. There will be three congressional lawyers and democrats are going to systematically go through their evidence, outlining their case and why they feel the evidence rises to the level of impeachme impeachment. Democra
President has done nothing wrong, nothing impeachable, and House Republicans say the president didnt break the law and had a legitimate interest in investigating corruption inside ukraine. We want to lay out what we will see today. We are moments away from this historic hearing, getting under way. In many ways if you havent been listening so far, you can get a sense of everything, all of the evidence today. Nancy cordes is outside that room there. Were going to hear everything, right, everything thats been investigated, every piece of evidence today . Reporter correct. There will be three witnesses at the witness table today. They are all congressional lawyers who will lay out everything that was learned so far, from those 17 witness interviews that were conducted behind closed doors and then 12 of those individuals came back to testify before the house Intelligence Committee. So these lawyers are going to s present what we know and what we dont know. The democratic lawyers will argue
The House Committee on the judiciary will come to order. Without objection the chair is authorized to declare recessses of the committee i object. Objection noted. Decorum is present. We are conducting this hearing on the impeachment inquiry into president donald j. Trump. Presentations from the select committee on intelligence and the House Judiciary Committee pursuant to House Resolution 660 and a special Judiciary Committee procedures that are zpliebd section 4a of that resolution. Heres you the committee will proceed for this hearing. I will make an Opening Statement and then i will recognize the Ranking Member for an Opening Statement. After that, we will hear two sets of presentations. We will hear 30minute opening arguments from counsels for the majority and the minority. Jerry nadler and the Democratic Party you are the ones, america is done with this. America doesnt agree order in the room. You are removing our vote. We voted for donald trump and americans are sick of the impe