"If the gentleman would hear me out, I suspect we'd find agreement," [Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)] said, as [Rep. James McGovern (D-MA)] began to interrupt. "Let me stipulate that I am absolutely asking for something that was not given to Democrats in the Clinton inquiry. I was here during the Clinton inquiry I'm absolutely asking for something that was not granted to the minority in that time. But I'm asking for it anyway because I think it's important."
Cole went on to argue that the Democrats' new process was meaningfully different. "During [the Clinton inquiry,] whether it was the chair or the ranking member, if one of those disagreed with issuing a subpoena, then the entire committee voted on whether or not to move forward. That is not the rule you have created here.
"Once again, in what seems to be very petty partisanship, because it makes no functional difference because of how the committee operates," Cole continued, "you say that if the ranking member [minority judiciary committee leader Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA)] asks for a subpoena and it's denied, the full committee will vote; but if the chairman [judiciary committee majority leader Rep. Jerry Nadler (R-NY)] asks for a subpoena, and the ranking member [Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA)] doesn't like it, that's just too bad, the full committee won't vote to validate the ranking member's position."
Cole also said that it was "unprecedented" that Democrats were denying Republicans the right to grant their time to other members, and for Democrats to draw up the impeachment procedures resolution with no GOP input.
