On Sunday, House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins (R-GA) vowed to make House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) testify in the Judiciary committee’s impeachment hearings.
Collins made the announcement when Fox News host Chris Wallace asked him who Republicans would subpoena once the Intelligence committee completes its report on its investigation into President Donald Trump this week.
“First and foremost, the first person that needs to testify, is Adam Schiff,” the Republican lawmaker said. “Adam Schiff is the author of this report.”
Collins compared Schiff to special counsel Ken Starr during the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton.
“[Starr] actually came and sat and testified under oath and took questions from all sides, including the White House,” Collins said. “My first and foremost witness is Adam Schiff.”
“So you want to bring him in before the committee not just to present a report, but to take questions from Democrats and to be cross-examined, if you will, by the Republicans?” Wallace asked.
“He needs to be. He’s put himself into that position,” Collins responded. “If he chooses not to, then I really question his veracity and what he’s putting in his report.”
Schiff told CNN host Jake Tapper last week that if Trump’s allies in the House or Senate try to get him to testify, “it really means they’re not serious about what they’re doing.”
“If they go down this road, it shows a fundamental lack of seriousness; a willingness to try to turn this into a circus, like the President would like,” the Democratic leader said. “And I hope they don’t go there.”
The House Judiciary Committee’s hearings are slated to begin on Wednesday.
Watch Collins below:
Rep. Doug Collins: Adam Schiff is "the first person" who needs to testify in the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearings. pic.twitter.com/nUi9VtUxTc
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) December 1, 2019
