The House Judiciary Committee will be working overtime this weekend as it prepares for its second hearing in the formal impeachment inquiry. But this time, the committee will be receiving evidence to likely to begin the next phase of the investigating: drafting articles of impeachment.
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.), who sits on the committee, said they could be drafting the articles as early as next week. Nevertheless, the thought of scripting a timeline may be too ambitious, she says.
"We don't want to put a timeline because things change so quickly," Mucarsel-Powell told Cheddar. "We are still receiving evidence, we're reviewing that evidence, but hopefully we will have a sense by December 20th."
During Monday's hearing, the Judiciary Committee will receive presentations of evidence from the Intelligence Committee.
"The evidence that we have received that's been very damning for the president has been abuse of power," Mucarsel-Powell said, referring to one of the articles being discussed. "I do believe that we'll be talking specifically about abuse of power."
Nevertheless, Mucarsel-Powell said she is "unsure" if other articles, like obstruction of justice and obstruction of Congress, will be drafted.
"We have seen him use the presidency, the office of the presidency, to put pressure on a foreign government, for his own private and political gain," she said, referring to President Trump's now-infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "And that's very dangerous for our national security. It also threatens the integrity of our elections."
On Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would begin the process of drafting the articles, her biggest step forward in the inquiry since explaining the House would open an investigation at the end of September.
Earlier in the day. President Trump urged House Democrats to move "fast" if they decide to impeach him, "so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business."
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham echoed that message writing: "We look forward to a fair trial in the Senate."
And while the GOP strategy has been to criticize Democrats for focusing on impeachment, like President Trump who calls them the "Do-Nothing Democrats", Mucarsel-Powell explained that the Caucus has little recourse but to move forward.
"We have been left with absolutely no other choice but to deal with the impeachment of a sitting president that would do anything to hold on to the power of his office for his re-election," she said.
Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders are now planning to amend the stop trading on congressional knowledge act, otherwise known as the 'Stock' Act. This 2012 law governs how members disclose the purchase or sale of stocks and amending it would close a loophole, eliminating the trading of individual stocks by members of congress. Pelosi has consistently opposed a ban on stock trading by lawmakers and congressional staff...so what's changed? Kedric Payne, Vice President of Campaign Legal Center, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for a controversial new version of the Alabama congressional map to remain in place. The lower court had previously ordered that the state must redraw that congressional map because it violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the political power of Black voters. Redistricting expert Yurij Rudensky joins Cheddar News to weigh in.
Florida lawmakers have introduced a controversial bill restricting some discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms with young students. Supporters say the move empowers parents to have more of a say in what their children learn. Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones joins Cheddar News to discuss more.
Congress this week passed a bill that would end forced arbitration for workplace sexual assault and harassment, one of the most significant changes to employment law in years. Cheddar News speaks with Marjorie Mesidor, Sexual Harassment Attorney, who explains that arbitrators are often retired judges or attorneys who "tends to have a more conservative view both to law and rewards."
As the situation with Russia has grown more precarious, the White House urged Americans remaining in Ukraine to leave immediately. The Biden administration that it sees continuing signs of escalation but did not have specific information detailing a timetable for a potential invasion. Kristine Berzina, senior fellow and head of the geopolitics team at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, joined Cheddar News to provide her analysis. "There's talk of an impending phone call between President Putin, President Biden," Berzina said. "That is certainly a good sign to indicate that there would be significant cost."
Terrell Starr, host of 'Black Diplomats' podcast and senior nonresident fellow at the Eurasia Center for Atlantic Council, joins Cheddar News from Kyiv, Ukraine to discuss the mounting tension there.
The White House laid out plans for a $5 billion investment into a national network of charging stations to ease EV driving anxiety. Bruce Brimacombe, CEO of EV infrastructure GOe3 joined Cheddar News to discuss how much needs to be done for drivers to get over the fear of running out of energy. "People need to be able to do what they're doing now," he said. "But that is the way that if you're going to buy an electric car, you got to feel like you're not changing your world." Brimacombe noted that building out the infrastructure between cities was GOe3's own focus.
U.S. automakers are saying that the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, a crucial border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, is affecting their production lines. Michelle Krebs of Cox Automotive warns that the disruption "couldn't come at a worst time," amid chip and labor shortages in Detroit.
AND DETROIT-BASED AUTO MAKERS SAY THEY ARE SHUTTING DOWN PLANTS OR SCALING BACK PRODUCTION BECAUSE OF PARTS SHORTAGES.
Plans to add affordable housing to a development in Yellow Springs, Ohio, were squashed after comedian Dave Chappelle and other community members spoke out against the project. Chappelle threatened to pull the plug on his local comedy club and restaurant projects if the development had been approved.
