GOP Lawmakers Storm Room in Capitol's Basement

The Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility sits in the basement of the Capitol, and it's been the site of more than a little drama on Wednesday. More than two dozen House Republicans who had been giving a news conference outside the room stormed into it as Laura Cooper—deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia—was due to give testimony in a closed-door hearing. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said some who entered were "literally ... just screaming ... saying that the process is wrong." House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff reportedly exited the room with Cooper, essentially postponing the hearing.

Politico reports the "standoff" was unresolved "by mid-morning," with Republicans who had barged in refusing to leave. The Hill reports GOP lawmakers are reportedly upset that only members of the three House panels overseeing the impeachment inquiry are permitted to attend the closed-door hearings and say the interview transcripts should be publicly available to the American people. Politico's sources say some Republicans carried their cellphones with them into the room, a House rules violation that triggered a sweep of the room for security issues. (More House Republicans stories.)