Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler was among the 194 House Republicans voting against a package of rules for the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
The vote was 232-196, with two Democrats voting against the package and one independent voting for it. The rules lay out groundwork for lawmakers in the House as public hearings begin, ultimately on whether to recommend Trump's removal from office.
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, said the 3rd District congresswoman had not yet decided how she planned to vote when the resolution. "Republicans were allowed zero input into the crafting of this resolution, and weren't even allowed to see it until this afternoon," Angie Riesterer, Herrera Beutler's spokeswoman, wrote in an email. "Jaime is going to take some time to determine whether due process and fairness concerns were met."
The resolution largely follows the road map laid out during the 1998 impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton. It empowers minority leaders to subpoena witnesses and evidence, though Democratic committee leaders would need to sign off on the subpoenas. If Democrats don't, then the full committee would vote on the Republicans' proposal.
For the past month, Herrera Beutler has called on the House to hold a formal vote on opening an impeachment inquiry, citing a lack of transparency in the investigation. A formal inquiry, she told The Columbian's Editorial Board on Oct. 9, would grant House Republicans subpoena power, and therefore bipartisan legitimacy to the investigation.
"If they (Democrats) really believe they can prove it, then why not let us subpoena people?" Herrera Beutler asked.
