Democrat Raskin claims impeachment vote was bipartisan due to support from former Republican Amash

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Democrat Raskin claims impeachment vote was bipartisan due to support from former Republican Amash

After Independent Rep. Justin Amash voted in favor of an official impeachment inquiry into President Trump on Thursday, Rep. Jamie Raskin claimed the process could now be deemed bipartisan, despite the fact that Amash left the GOP in July.

After Independent Rep. Justin Amash voted in favor of an official impeachment inquiry into President Trump on Thursday, Rep. Jamie Raskin claimed the process could now be considered bipartisan, despite the fact that Amash left the Republican party in July.

"I'm sorry that there weren't at least a handful of Republicans who were willing to vote for what the GOP's basically been asking for, which is open hearings," he said on "Outnumbered."

"That's what this is," Raskin, D-Md., continued. "For open hearings and the availability of the public to participate in this process. I was happy also that the independent in the House, Justin Amash, voted with the Democrats. So it was bipartisan, or multi-partisan in that sense."

Raskin said the measure passed on Thursday is identical to the one passed during former President Bill Clinton's impeachment and assured Republicans they would be granted fair access and an equal voice in the upcoming process.

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"The subpoena rules are exactly the rules that took place when President Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives when the Republicans were in control of the majority," he said.

"Everything that's taken place up to now has been scrupulously bipartisan," Raskin added. "All of the closed-door depositions that have been taking place have given 50 percent of the staff questioning time to the Republicans, 50 percent to the Democrats. Members on both sides have been able to ask -- and that's precisely how it will proceed. And the president will have all the rights that the president had during the Clinton impeachment."

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Only two House Democrats, Reps. Jeff Van Drew, D-N.J., who has long expressed skepticism about impeachment, and Collin Peterson, D-Minn, whose district Trump won by 31 points, broke with their party to vote against the inquiry. Every Republican present voted against it.

The resolution passed by a final vote of 232-196.

Amash, a Michigan libertarian who left the GOP this year, has been fiercely critical of Trump.

"This president will be in power for only a short time, but excusing his misbehavior will forever tarnish your name," he tweeted Thursday. "To my Republican colleagues: Step outside your media and social bubble. History will not look kindly on disingenuous, frivolous, and false defenses of this man."

Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report