Collins demands minority hearing day in writing, reminds Nadler it is not optional

Rep. Doug Collins doubled down on demands that House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler respond to GOP requests to call their own witnesses in the impeachment proceedings, sending the Democrat a letter demanding a “minority day of hearings.”

The Georgia Republican and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee joined his GOP colleagues in a letter reminding Nadler of his “obligation” to schedule a Republican minority hearing day before articles of impeachment against President Trump can be decided by the committee.

“During yesterday’s impeachment hearing, Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) furnished you with a timely demand for a minority day of hearings, signed by all Republican Members of the Committee,” Collins wrote to Nadler in the letter dated Dec. 6.

“You declined repeated requests by Republican members during the hearing to acknowledge your obligation to schedule such a hearing or to provide any details on your planned schedule for further impeachment proceedings,” he added, calling the impeachment a “sham.”

The letter also invoked a clause stating that “Minority Members ‘shall be entitled to … call witnesses selected by the minority to testify with respect to that measure or matter during at least one day of hearing thereon.’”

“The requested minority hearing day must take place before articles of impeachment are considered by the Committee,” the letter said, coming one day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Democrats would “proceed with articles of impeachment” against Trump.

Collins and Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner from Wisconsin addressed the scheduling of the requested hearing and what Nadler’s planned next steps were in the impeachment process during the committee’s first day of hearings this week. The lawmakers made no progress though as Nadler refused to recognize them during the hearing.

In his closing statement, Collins again demanded answers from the chairman.

“When do you plan on scheduling our minority hearing day?” he asked.

(Relevant portion of the video begins at 8:19 mark)

(Video: NBC News)

Collins listed witnesses Republicans were seeking to call in a letter to Nadler, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. as well as the anonymous whistleblower, former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, Devon Archer, a former board member at Burisma, and others.

Collins called out Nadler’s lack of follow up and response in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.

“He never gets back to me,” Collins said on “The Ingraham Angle.”

(Video: Fox News)

“I’m trying to get a definition of what’s going on — ‘Don’t worry Doug, we’ll talk to you.’ Just the other day as I was trying to get information from him, he just gets tired of talking to me and just hangs up,” he added.

“They are so lost and so scared that they are going to lose this moment to get at this president,” he said, reiterating that “it’s in the rules that they are supposed to schedule a hearing day for us.

“We are supposed to be able to call witnesses,” he said. “We are still fighting with them. They don’t want the truth to come out.”

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