By Hannah Bleau
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) kicked out staffers and required members to check their phones ahead of a caucus meeting on Wednesday in order to have a “candid” conversation with Democrat members on the impeachment inquiry, according to reports.
Rachael Bade, a Washington Post contributor and CNN political analyst, reported Pelosi locked down her caucus meeting without warning.
“INTRIGUING: Pelosi has kicked out staff and is making members check cell phones going into caucus today so she can have a candid convo with her members on impeachment,” Bade reported, adding that a sign at the door read, “NO ENTRANCE.”
Aides reportedly ensured no one except lawmakers proceeded into the room:
INTRIGUING: Pelosi has kicked out staff and is making members check cell phones going into caucus today so she can have a candid convo with her members on impeachment.
At the door, a massive sign reads “NO ENTRANCE” and aides are making sure no one but lawmakers get through.
“Ahead of the first Judiciary impeachment hearing, two major huddles by both parties: Pelosi talking impeachment with members & kicking out staff to crackdown on leaks,” she noted, adding that Vice President Mike Pence is speaking with Republicans at a weekly meeting:
Ahead of the first Judiciary impeachment hearing, two major huddles by both parties: Pelosi talking impeachment with members & kicking out staff to crackdown on leaks. and VP Pence chatting with Rs at weekly meeting. And me wishing I could duplicate myself.
Pelosi offered little details after emerging from the meeting, only describing it as “very prayerful”:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaves this morning’s caucus meeting, describing it as “very prayerful” but making no other comments.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, leaving House Democratic Caucus meeting on Intel Committee report this morning, says it was “prayerful”
According to reports, Pelosi did not provide a clear timeline on an impeachment vote but urged members to be “disciplined” in their messages:
Lawmakers tell me that Pelosi gave no timeline as to when impeachment vote would happen at meeting today
In private caucus meeting, Pelosi asks Dems: “Are you ready?” Dems respond by yelling out: They are
The question was in essence, multiple sources told me, are you ready to keep moving forward on impeachment? And the caucus indicated they are.
Manu Raju✔@mkraju
Several sources said that Pelosi told her colleagues to let the process work, but did not provide a timeline on impeachment. She also encouraged her colleagues to be disciplined in messages. And said everyone’s district is different so members need to respect that, per sources.
The closed-door meeting follows falling public support of the impeachment inquiry and coincided with the first public impeachment hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee featuring four legal scholars.
