The Democrats’ public impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump move to the House Judiciary Committee beginning on Wednesday of this week, as chaired by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.).
As Americans saw earlier from the House Intelligence Committee, the rules and processes are stacked against the GOP by a biased and frightened Democrat House caucus.
But that doesn’t mean the GOP, as in the last phase of hearings, won’t get its licks in and try to make mincemeat out of some Democrat witnesses.
Related: Mike Pompeo on Dems’ Impeachment Push: ‘Very Unfortunate’ Hearings Are Happening This Week
Below is a lineup of the committee members we’re likely to see the most of as these hearings get underway.
Dem Chairman Jerry Nadler. Just as partisan as Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Nadler also will be judged under a microscope.
His committee has the constitutional responsibility to forward articles of impeachment to the full House — and the Dems have the numbers and publicly noted intention of passing those indictments before Christmas.
So this is the main committee show in the House.
Expect Nadler to play hardball — and control and gag anything that does not serve his one-sided agenda.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). As during the Intel Committee hearings, Jordan — and not ranking GOP members — will be a force to be reckoned with, especially in the cross-examination of Democrat witnesses.
Related: Jordan Captures the Dems’ Rush to Impeachment in One Smart Tweet
His tough pushback on the Dems last time around was one of the main reasons the impeachment inquiry tanked in the polls.
Jordan will be looking to repeat and exceed his performance this week.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). She’s not a household name, but she won’t be the only member looking to use this platform to increase her name recognition to catapult her to more fame and higher office.
She likely knows that Rep. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), the former Nixon-era House Judiciary Committee member, used his increased exposure to become the Senate Majority leader eventually.
Lofgren is also very close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), as well as Schiff.
She is likely to be the speaker’s point guard on the committee.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Gaetz is a strong supporter of the president and a White House favorite.
As such, he is a prominent guest on cable news shows to defend the president — and he will take those talking points, and his obvious ambition to make a name for himself, to a national audience.
Fireworks between Gaetz and Nadler are likely.
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.). This member of Congress is the person who commented, back in 2010 during a congressional hearing, that he thought Guam would “tip over and capsize” due to overpopulation. He was serious (his office later claimed he was “deadpanning”).
In another instance, when Johnson was extolling the virtues of the Federal Helium Program — a 1925 measure to counter blimp warfare — he opined, “Imagine a world without helium.” Helium is an inert gas that is naturally occurring.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.). The chairman of the influential and hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, Biggs has mocked the Dems for weeks over this process.
He’ll likely relish the chance to show up the effort for the sham that it is.
He will use his finely honed media skills and impressive Freedom Caucus staff work to run circles around Nadler. With fellow Freedom Caucus member Jordan, he could be the GOP’s one-two punch in defense of the president.
Other members to watch. These include longtime Trump hater Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas); GOP committee chairman Doug Collins (R-Ga.); former presidential candidate and, like Johnson, natural gas enthusiast Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.); hardnosed questioner Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.); gimicky showman Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.); and a dark-horse possible standout from the pack — as was Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) during the Intel Committee’s hearings — Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.).
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