Title: Raising a question of the privileges of the House.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This resolution disapproves the actions of the Speaker of the House, Representative Nancy Pelosi, to initiate an impeachment inquiry against President Trump without any debate or vote by the full House on an impeachment inquiry resolution.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 603 Laid on Table in House (LTH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 603

           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2019

Mr. McCarthy submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the 
                                 table

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas at a press conference on September 24, 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy 
        Pelosi stated: ``Therefore today, I'm announcing the House of 
        Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment 
        inquiry'';
Whereas House Practice states that: ``Under the modern practice, an impeachment 
        is normally instituted by the House by the adoption of a resolution 
        calling for a committee investigation of charges against the officer in 
        question'';
Whereas in the past 25 years, the House of Representatives has moved forward 
        with impeachment against a Federal officer three times, each initiated 
        by an impeachment inquiry resolution approved by the full House, not by 
        a unilateral decree of the Speaker;
Whereas on May 12, 2009, the House approved H. Res. 424, authorizing and 
        directing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire whether the House 
        should impeach Samuel B. Kent, a judge of the United States District 
        Court for the Southern District of Texas;
Whereas on January 13, 2009, the House approved H. Res. 15, authorizing and 
        directing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire whether the House 
        should impeach G. Thomas Porteous, a judge of the United States District 
        Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana;
Whereas on October 8, 1998, the House approved H. Res. 581, authorizing and 
        directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether 
        sufficient grounds exist for the impeachment of William Jefferson 
        Clinton, President of the United States;
Whereas the Committee Report to accompany H. Res. 581 stated: ``Because the 
        issue of impeachment is of such overwhelming importance, the Committee 
        decided that it must receive authorization from the full House before 
        proceeding on any further course of action'';
Whereas that report further stated: ``Because impeachment is delegated solely to 
        the House of Representatives by the Constitution, the full House of 
        Representatives should be involved in critical decision making regarding 
        various stages of impeachment'';
Whereas the Speaker's extraordinary decision to move forward with an impeachment 
        inquiry without any debate or vote on such a resolution by the full 
        House undermines the voting privileges afforded to each Member and the 
        constituents they represent; and
Whereas this unprecedented and politically motivated decision by Speaker Pelosi 
        represents an abuse of power and brings discredit to the House of 
        Representatives: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the 
actions of the Speaker of the House, Mrs. Pelosi of California, to 
initiate an impeachment inquiry against the duly elected President of 
the United States, Donald J. Trump.
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