Nine GOP senators absent from Senate resolution condemning House impeachment inquiry
Sens. Collins, Garner, Romey and Portman have not co-sponsored Sen. Graham's bill; Leland Vittert reports from Washington.
President Trump on Friday thanked loyal Republican lawmakers in the House for introducing a resolution that formally condemns the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry. Republicans say the probe denies the White House fundamental "due process" rights because testimonies are being conducted behind closed doors.
"I appreciate the support of Senator @LindseyGraham, @SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell, and their Great Senate Republican colleagues, on the resolution condemning the Do Nothing Democrats for their Witch Hunt Impeachment inquiry, behind closed doors in the basement of the United States Capitol!" Trump tweeted. "They cannot win at the ballot box. Their sham for the past 3 years continues. The good news is that the American People get it, which will be proven once again on November 3, 2020!"
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who introduced the resolution on Thursday with the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said they have the support of more than 40 House Republicans.
The move attempts to hammer home a main point of contention for the GOP with the probe into Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -- asserting that the House has not held a formal vote to initiate an impeachment inquiry and that Democrats have not been transparent in their investigation.
Graham's resolution demanded that House Democrats "provide President Trump, like every other American, with due process, to include the ability to confront his accusers, call witnesses on his behalf, and have a basic understanding of the accusations against him that would form any basis for impeachment."
The resolution also "calls on the House of Representatives to provide members of the minority with the ability to participate fully in all proceedings and have equal authority to issue subpoenas and other compulsory processes."
Three House committees spearheading the investigation into Trump -- which centers around whether or not the president engaged in a "quid pro quo" and attempted to persuade Zelensky to open an investigation into former vice president and 2020 candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter in exchange for military aid to Ukraine -- have held numerous depositions in a secret room on Capitol Hill, which House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has said is necessary to ensure that witnesses do not interfere with each other's testimonies.
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Republicans have taken issue with the "closed-door" inquiry despite being given access to ask questions during the ongoing depositions.
Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report.
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