Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) was a breakout star to Republicans watching the House Intelligence Committee's impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump.
Working with more well-known Republican faces of the committee, such as recent addition Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA), Stefanik assisted Republicans in their infamous stunt to discredit Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) and the proceedings against Trump as a whole.
The stunt failed but it succeeded in making her a GOP darling and solidified the once-moderate Stefanik's allegiance to Trump. (It also gave her 2020 opponent a huge spike in fundraising and Twitter follows.)
People hadn't forgotten this spectacle when the Congresswoman recently posted a literary-themed tweet, which featured a link to Stefanik's favorite reads of 2019.
She then asked her Twitter followers their reading recommendations for the new decade.
Comment with recommendations for the 2020 reading list 👩🏻🏫— Elise Stefanik (@Elise Stefanik) 1577732486.0
It quickly backfired.
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP I highly recommend reading Orwell’s book “1984” as well as John Adam’s book-“The purpose of Government.”— Angel McCann (@Angel McCann) 1577790007.0
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP The transcript.— theantido(nald)te (@theantido(nald)te) 1577782323.0
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP My favorite book title from Obama’s reading list is “Dark mirror; reflections on self de… https://t.co/tFa2uVLPKS— Maureen (@Maureen) 1577800747.0
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP You should absolutely read How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by @toadmeister. Tho,… https://t.co/OEtiWCfC7l— MΞGAN KΞLLΞY HALL (@MΞGAN KΞLLΞY HALL) 1577803369.0
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP Everything Trump Touches Dies by Rick Wilson— Joanne Oyer 🐠 #DemCast #DemCastIL (@Joanne Oyer 🐠 #DemCast #DemCastIL) 1577804296.0
@EliseStefanik The death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic Its about mis… https://t.co/4kDJT8OL2n— CJ ((Ex-Republican)) (@CJ ((Ex-Republican))) 1577733709.0
One recommendation, however, stood out above them all.
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP Start with the Constitution.— Bunontherun (@Bunontherun) 1577736276.0
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP Read The Constitution.— EMazeltoz (@EMazeltoz) 1577760123.0
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP The Constitution - Our Founding Fathers— Trumpdrovemetodrink🍷🍾 (@Trumpdrovemetodrink🍷🍾) 1577735345.0
@EliseStefanik @EdLaborGOP Congresswoman - You might want to start with the Constitution of the United States #NY21— Ruth Sergel 🗽 (@Ruth Sergel 🗽) 1577734950.0
One of Stefanik's most notable moments during the Intelligence Committees open impeachment hearings was during the testimony of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
The chairman and the ranking member began with their 45 minute opening lines of questioning, during which only they or their party's counsel can ask question. Regular members, like Stefanik, later get a five minute line of questioning and can yield it to whomever they wish. Ranking Member Nunes attempted to yield part of his 45 minute line of questioning to Stefanik in violation of procedural rules.
Watch below.
#NEW: House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff stops GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik from questioning Marie Yavonovitch: https://t.co/hVyZVuHgOE— Chloe Salsameda (@Chloe Salsameda) 1573841425.0
Chairman Schiff wouldn't allow it—a move which Stefanik and her Republican colleagues said was an attempt to suppress Republican voices, ignoring that it was Stefanik actually violating procedure.
Now that Trump has officially been impeached, maybe Stefanik will have time to take up more of Twitter's reading suggestions—beginning with the Constitution, which gives the House the sole power to impeach.