GOP lawmaker urges members to halt ‘endless loop’ of talking points

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), more than 11 hours into Thursday’s marathon impeachment hearing, implored his fellow committee members to resist the urge to keep speaking up to make the same points they’ve shared over the course of the nearly 12-hour hearing.

“This hearing’s been enough of an institutional embarrassment without putting it on an endless loop, so if I could just offer a modest suggestion — if no one has anything new to add, they resist the temptation to inflict what we’ve already heard over and over again,” McClintock said.

The congressman bemoaned that he had not heard a new talking point from either side “in the last three hours.”

“Repeating a fact over and over doesn’t make it true and denying a fact over and over doesn’t make it false,” he said.

Upon the conclusion of McClintock’s remarks, Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) sought recognition.

She yielded to other Republican lawmakers who went on to defend the president.

Both Democrats and Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have treaded over many of the same arguments and talking points during the all day hearing.

The panel is considering amendments to the two articles of impeachment offered by Democrats. All of the amendments have been defeated on party-line votes.