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Republican measure censuring intelligence chair blocked

Washington, Oct 22


US House Democrats have blocked a motion by House Republicans to censure Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who is also handling the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

A vote to censure decides whether the Congress should formally and publicly express strong disapproval of a member's behaviour or alleged misconduct that falls short of expulsion, Xinhua news agency reported.

Previous cases showed that censured members could be required to give up any committee chair they hold.

The Democratic-controlled House on Monday voted 218-185, which fell completely along party lines with Republican-turned independent lawmaker Justin Amash siding with the Democrats.

The censure resolution was introduced by Republican Representative Andy Biggs last week. He and other Republicans said that Schiff misled voters when he recreated a conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a committee hearing last month.

Schiff has defended that his statement at the hearing was "meant to be at least part in parody".

Republicans also argued that the inquiry led by the Intelligence Committee and two other House panels was being conducted in secret and that they have been unable to see transcripts of closed-door interviews.

Schiff has said that the transcripts of the closed-door depositions will eventually be made public.

Trump on Monday retweeted a number of his earlier tweets targeting Schiff over the censure motion, urging Republicans to fight harder for him against the impeachment inquiry.

"Republicans have to get tougher and fight," he said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House during the day.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September 24 announced the investigation into whether Trump may have committed an impeachable offence surrounding his dealings with Ukraine, and Schiff is one of the House Democrats leading the probe.