By pursuing the impeachment of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, House Republicans are creating a new problem for their party that could come back to haunt the GOP for decades.
If House conservatives press ahead with an impeachment of the embattled tax chief, they’d be voting to remove a relatively low-level executive-branch leader for one of the most minor offenses in American history, several impeachment experts told Politico. That decision could, effectively, lower the threshold for congressional punishment of an executive-branch authority from here on out — and ensure a wave of new proceedings against government officials who have tangled with Congress in the past.
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But the move could backfire on Republicans if Democrats reclaim the House in some future election.
“This is where the politics of impeachment can come back and bite you in the butt,†Geyh continued. “I don’t want to suggest that the Democrats aren’t above these semantics. To the contrary: The next step in the process will be in the next Republican administration, the Democrats are going to say, ‘Hey, you remember what you did to this administration?’â€
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House Republicans seem oblivious to the long-term consequences of their behavior. Once a line is crossed, whether it is shutting down the government, obstructing a Supreme Court nominee, or lowering the bar for impeachment the precedent is set. The other party doesn’t forget when the majority has wronged them, and there will be people in the next Democratic majority who will want payback.
Paul Ryan loves to fill the air around himself with talk of agendas and policies, but Ryan’s House is the same as John Boehner’s House. House Republicans tend to spend their time chasing down conspiracy theories, misusing their investigative powers, and avoiding doing anything about the big issues that matter to the American people.
House Republicans are creating a massive problem for their party by pursuing this impeachment because someday there will be a Democratic House Majority that will pay back the House GOP behavior with interest.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
