House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) went after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today, calling on her to suspend the “impeachment inquiry” and criticizing her for proceeding without following any of the rules required to conduct one.

McCarthy also called out Democratic committee chairs for proceeding without any bipartisanship and not allowing the participation of the Republicans.

From Fox News:

“Unfortunately, you have given no clear indication as to how your impeachment inquiry will proceed – including whether key historical precedents or basic standards of due process will be observed,” McCarthy said in his letter. “In addition, the swiftness and recklessness with which you have proceeded has already resulted in committee chairs attempting to limit minority participation in scheduled interviews, calling into question the integrity of such an inquiry.” ….

In his letter to Pelosi, McCarthy asked a number of questions, including whether Pelosi plans to hold a full House vote on authorizing the impeachment inquiry, whether she plans to grant subpoena powers to both the committee chairs and the ranking members, and whether she’ll allow Trump’s lawyers to attend the hearings.

After concerns were first raised about an “equal playing field” during the Volker session, Fox News is told Democrats made concessions and agreed to equal representation from Democratic and Republican counsels in the room. However, even though there are representatives from the Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs Committees, only the Intelligence Committee can ask questions.

Pelosi’s response? Who has to pay attention to the rules? She claimed “existing rules of the House provide House Committees with full authority to conduct investigations for all matters under their jurisdiction.” Forget about bipartisanship.

She also claimed there was no requirement to take a vote to start an impeachment inquiry.

Pelosi to McCarthy: There is no requirement under the Constitution, under House Rules, or House precedent that the whole House vote before proceeding with an impeachment inquiry.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 3, 2019

Unreal.

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) blasted that and said media should be pushing back on the falsehood.

To @SpeakerPelosi,

Challenge these ‘weak’ House Republicans — who in your own words — are “nervous about bringing [an impeachment inquiry] vote to the floor.”

What’s equally absurd is that no member of the press challenged her on this statement. pic.twitter.com/WhfRhNXRMF

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 2, 2019

The leading Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, sent a formal letter to the Democratic Chair of his Committee Eliot Engel (D-NY) yesterday that Pelosi was flouting House Rules X and XI.

Citing House Rules X and XI, McCaul said that until Congress members from both parties vote to create a special impeachment task force to carry out proceedings, “Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff lacks the jurisdiction to investigate the Department of State’s conduct of United States foreign policy toward Ukraine. That prerogative belongs to our Members.”

“Official impeachment inquiries are initiated by the adoption of a House resolution empowering or creating a committee or task force to undertake such activities,” McCaul continued. “In both the Nixon and Clinton cases, the Judiciary Committee debated and reported a resolution authorizing the Judiciary Committee to investigate whether there were sufficient grounds to impeach the President, which was then debated and voted on by the full House of Representatives. There have been no such debates or votes in this Congress.”

More:

Based on precedent, the House is not engaged in a formal impeachment inquiry just because Pelosi and Nadler say it is.
This is from the CRS. No authorizing vote has occurred.
A norm-busting impeachment of a norm-busting President? Ironists delight.https://t.co/YcADVA5EaD pic.twitter.com/ddyOQvis7J

— Tom Maguire (@Tom_Maguire) October 1, 2019

CRS is the Congressional Research Service.

Talk about “threat to democracy” or “coup.”

What would say that more than not following precedent and the rules and not allowing bipartisanship while the Democrats themselves appear to be hip-deep involved in shaping the claims?