Whistleblower drama and a plan for public hearings

IMPEACHMENT. 2020 ELECTION. WASHINGTON. AND MORE FROM THE POLITICS WORLD.

Tuesday, October 29

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman arrives to testify before House committees on Oct. 29, 2019.

A week's worth of impeachment inquiry news packed into a Tuesday. You're welcome.

Happy Tuesday, OnPolitics readers. Today was a big day in the ongoing drama that is the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. We'll give you all the need-to-knows, but recommend heading to USA TODAY's live blog to make sure you have the latest.

But first: How do Americans feel about president during all of this? A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds 46% in favor and 47% against on whether Trump should be convicted by the Senate in an impeachment trial and removed from office. But, the poll also found that Trump's supporter base continues to stay loyal to him.

Vindman testifies, and it causes quite the kerfuffle

Yesterday's interviewee was a no-show. But today there was indeed an official in the impeachment inquiry hot seat: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. He's an Army officer and the Trump administration's top Ukraine expert.

Before Vindman's interview:

•	In a prepared testimony, Vindman said he was "concerned" by Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
•	Also before the interview began, Trump started tweeting. Among other things: "Why are people that I never even heard of testifying about the call," and "Just READ THE CALL TRANSCRIPT AND THE IMPEACHMENT HOAX IS OVER! Ukrain (sic) said NO PRESSURE." (Later, Pelosi responded to Trump.)
•	Speaking at a press conference with House Republicans, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the third-ranking House Republican, said attacks on Vindman's patriotism were "shameful" and said Republicans "should not be involved" in the attacks. Vindman is also from Ukraine which has sparked comments.

After the interview:

•	Republican lawmakers pushed back on concerns that they were attempting to out the whistleblower's identity with a line of questioning.
•	"We're just trying to get information that we're entitled to get and the witness is supposed to answer our questions," Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said.
•	He and fellow Republicans attacked Schiff for objecting to a line of questions posed by GOP members, including questions about who Vindman had spoken with about his concerns relating to Ukraine.
•	Democrats said they learned new information in the deposition but declined to elaborate on specifics.

The details we'd been waiting for

House Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry have released the text of their eight-page resolution that will be voted on Thursday that outlines how the next phase of the inquiry will operate. Want to read it all, word-for-word? Didn't think so. Here's what you need to know:

•	The resolution outlines the plan for public hearings to take place in the House Intelligence Committee, which has led the investigation into Trump asking Ukraine to investigate political rivals. The committee has been asked to "report to the House of Representatives such resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations as it deems proper."
•	The chairman and ranking member (Adam Schiff, D-Calif. and Devin Nunes, R-Calif.) would both have subpoena power and be given up to 90 minutes to question witnesses during the public hearings. But, Nunes' questions would first have to be approved by Schiff.
•	Information gathered would then funnel to the House Judiciary Committee - the panel that has traditionally been charged with impeachment.