The Judiciary Committee convened a similar panel of expert witnesses in 1998 when it began debate over whether to impeach President Bill Clinton. What are the rules?” Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, a senior Democrat on the panel, said of the first hearing. The Judiciary Committee chairman and a majority of the committee always had final say over the president’s requests. Whereas those leaders grudgingly engaged with Congress — at least to some extent — as it built impeachment cases against them, Mr. Trump’s White House has thus far responded only by declaring the House’s inquiry illegitimate and refusing to cooperate. That has left Democrats uncertain on how to approach Mr. Trump’s role in the process.

Source: New York Times November 26, 2019 19:01 UTC