Adam Schiff hammers Mike Pence making an attempt to dodge a press release about 1/6

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) called former Vice President Mike Pence for trying to evade the DOJ and avoid testifying about the 1/6 attack.

Schiff tweeted:

Pence now claims the speech and debate clause – intended for senators and members – allows him to avoid testifying on January 6th.

Just shows how far Pence will go to avoid doing his duty and speaking the truth.

What a way to start a presidential campaign.

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 14, 2023

What Rep. Schiff was referring to is a report in the New York Times that Pence will attempt to argue that his role as Senate President affords him protection from speech or debate clauses:

Mr Pence is expected to argue that the Vice President’s role as President of the Senate means he is protected from legal scrutiny of his official duties by the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, which is designed to protect the separation of powers.

Such an approach would be novel and a departure from the more traditional argument that a vice president’s interactions with a president would be subject to executive branch privileges.

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Pence’s argument is shaky at best because the speech or debate clause is intended to protect members of Congress while they carry out their official duties. Lindsey Graham attempted to invoke the clause to avoid testifying in the Georgia election interference investigation and he lost in court. At least Graham is a sitting senator.

It would be unusual, to say the least, for the courts to find that a vice president has speech or debate clause protections.

Rep. Schiff summed it up. Mike Pence shows the kind of leader he is not by trying to hide behind the speaking or debate clause.

Mike Pence is so afraid of losing votes in the Republican presidential primary that he is willing to obstruct an investigation into the man who sent a mob of supporters to kill him in the Capitol.

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House press pool and congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association