GOP Demands Dems Respect the Cherished Press
Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 3:27 pmThe Democrats, who have been holding secret hearings in a room they've posted armed guards outside with orders not to let in members of the valued and cherished Fourth Estate, were in for a rude surprise today when the GOP raced to defend the rights of journalists by storming the room and shutting-down the session.
"They crashed the party," said Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Calif.), a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee, one of three House panels leading the impeachment probe.
Dozens of Republicans, including some members of leadership like House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), barged into the secure hearing room in the Capitol basement where Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, was set to provide private testimony.
“When we walked in, they looked dumbfounded and the room just came to a stop," Byrne told The Hill. "And we lined up along the wall or sat in chairs expecting them to do something. And after several minutes, Adam Schiff got up and just walked out. And while he was walking out I said, 'Don't go.’”
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4670 ... -testimony