Last updated on July 21st, 2023 at 06:19 pm
Democrats in the House of Representatives have begun to openly discuss impeaching President Donald Trump. This is a new development in that after the November 6 elections most of them said they would focus on hearings and legislation instead.
But the new criminal allegations made against Trump by federal prosecutors last week have changed the environment on Capitol Hill. And this means legislators are no longer reluctant to mention the “I” word even if they say that the time is not right (yet) to move forward on impeachment.
All the top House Democrats agree that they must wait for Robert Mueller’s final report. They also know that Mueller, and the New York federal prosecutors, may soon come out with more indictments against the president, and even his children and his business.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
So it makes sense to “wait and see” but the political dynamic has changed. Democrats in Congress are getting pressure from the people who voted them into power — the left wing of the party. And these people are not that patient. They want Trump impeached, and they want it now — or at least some time soon.
Here are some recent comments about impeachment from leading House Democrats:
“Our position has been, is now, and I think will be: Until the Mueller investigation is over, it’s premature to discuss what action ought to be taken as a result of it. We want to see what he’s found out.”
But other top Democrats seem to agree with Nadler’s statement that the possible criminal allegations against Trump constitute an “impeachable offense.”
“Clearly, if the president orchestrated and ordered Michael Cohen to break the law, to act in a criminal manner, and did so knowingly … that would be an impeachable offense, potentially.”
“However, there is a difference between something being an impeachable offense and something reaching the threshold where the House should decide to take on that issue.”
“Impeachment is the end of a long process, not the beginning of a process. It should be neither a fetish nor a taboo with us. Nobody should be obsessed with it,” Raskin said. “Impeachment is part of the Constitution and nobody should be afraid of it. But it’s a very heavy constitutional remedy.”
“The president is now under enormous pressure, because as he looks at this, he knows that he’s in great potential legal jeopardy and very serious political jeopardy,” Deutch, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said.
There is no doubt that even if Congress does not take any action to impeach, Trump will still be in legal trouble. Democrats know that when they take power they will have other tools at their disposal to hold the president accountable. They will be able to hold hearings, launch investigations and subpoena documents from the Trump administration. This may have a greater political impact that holding impeachment hearings.
“I will make an announcement sometime next week, more than likely, as to whether or not we will have additional articles of impeachment brought before the House,” Green said on the House floor Tuesday.
Given what Green has done in the past, and given the public statements now being made by more House Democrats, there is a real possibility that President Donald Trump may be facing impeachment hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives over the next 12 months. In the halls of Congress, 2019 promises to be a very exciting year.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
President Biden confirmed that Dark Brandon is real during a fundraiser with former presidents Bill…
lice officer to talk about how the killing of police officers must stop, after he…
In what should be viewed as a last gasp move to revive his impeachment investigation,…
A Georgia judge has ruled that vice chair of the state Republican Party voted illegally…
After news that former Trump campaign chairman and convicted felon Paul Manafort might rejoin Donald…
President Biden is set to raise more money for his campaign in one night ($25…
This website uses cookies.