This week on "Face the Nation", October 27, 2019: Pence, Gowdy, Klobuchar, Rice
Impeachment probe riles Republicans
As the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry moves full steam ahead, House Republicans are now expressing outrage their lack of access to the closed-door nature of the interviews being conducted by House panels leading the probe.
In a moment of frustration, two dozen Republicans took out their anger with Democrats by staging a "sit-in" in the secure hearing room where a Pentagon official was set to testify in the probe Thursday, protesting what they see as the secretive nature of the Democrats' investigation.
The GOP lawmakers, most of whom are not members of the committees leading the inquiry, gained access to the secure area after holding a press conference Wednesday morning. Some members brought their cell phones into the secure room, known as a "SCIF," in violation of security protocols.
The members delayed the deposition of Laura Cooper, a Defense Department official who deals with Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, for more than five hours before it eventually got underway Wednesday afternoon, leading many Democrats to decry the move as a political "stunt" to obstruct the probe.
President Trump, meanwhile, pushed GOP buttons by comparing the inquiry to a "lynching", sparking widespread criticism for his casual comparison to a term often associated with the mob killings of African Americans in the Jim Crow era. Several Republican leaders including Mitch McConnell parted ways with the president's questionable comparison. Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, however, doubled down and said it was an "accurate" description. Graham has since introduced Senate legislation formally condemning the entire probe.
Trump hails win with "permanent ceasefire" in Syria
While political fallout over the president's Syria policy is still raw, President Trump announced Wednesday that the U.S. would lift sanctions on Turkey because there will be a "permanent" ceasefire in the conflict between Turkey and the Kurds in northern Syria.
The Kurds largely withdrew from the region under the terms of an earlier 120-hour ceasefire negotiated by the U.S.
The announcement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin brokered a new six-day ceasefire, which allows Russia to step into the power vacuum created after Mr. Trump announced the withdrawal of 1,000 U.S. troops from northern Syria.
In his announcement, Mr. Trump said Turkey called to inform him early Wednesday morning that there would be a "permanent" ceasefire between Turkey and the Syrian Kurds.
"Face the Nation" Guest Lineup:
- Vice President Mike Pence, (@VP)
- Admiral James Winnefeld (Ret.)
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota (@amyklobuchar)
- Former Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, (@TGowdySC)
- Susan Rice, Former National Security Adviser (@AmbassadorRice)
We'll turn to our panel for some perspective on breaking news out of Syria
- David Martin, CBS News National Security Correspondent (@CBSDavidMartin)
- Ben Tracy, CBS News White House Corresponden (@benstracy)
- Holly Williams, CBS News Foreign Correspondent (@HollyMAWilliams)
- Michael Morell, Former CIA Deputy Directo and CBS News Senior National Security Contributor (@MichaelJMorell)
How to watch "Face the Nation"
- Date: Sunday, October 27, 2019
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With the latest news and analysis from Washington, don't miss Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) this Sunday on "Face the Nation" (@FaceTheNation).
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