Democrats Waste No Time, Plans To Introduce Impeachment Measure at the Start of Congress
California Congressman Brad Sherman intends to introduce articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump after the 116th session of Congress convenes on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Sherman will be reintroducing a measure that he first offered in 2017 with Democrat colleague Rep. Al Green of Texas, which accuses the president of obstruction of justice in relation to the firing of former FBI Director James Comey.
“There is no reason it shouldn’t be before the Congress,” Sherman said. “Every day, Donald Trump shows that leaving the White House would be good for our country.”
The congressman stated in 2017, “I am introducing Articles of Impeachment to begin a long process to protect our country from abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and impulsive, ignorant incompetence.”
In an interview with NBC’s “Today” show, which aired on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not rule out impeachment.
“We have to wait and see what happens with the Mueller report. We shouldn’t be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn’t avoid impeachment for a political reason. So we’ll just have to see how it comes,” she said.
After Sherman and Green introduced their articles of impeachment in December 2017, then-Minority Leader Pelosi and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer put out a joint statement, saying the timing was not right for such a move.
“The President has made statements and taken actions that are beyond the pale for most Americans, embracing those who espouse hatred and division while promoting policies that would undermine and harm our national security,” the two said.
“Legitimate questions have been raised about his fitness to lead,” Pelosi and Hoyer added. “The special counsel’s investigation is moving forward as well, and those inquiries should be allowed to continue. Now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment.”
Last spring Freedom Caucus members Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona both predicted that the first step Democrats would take after regaining control of the House is introducing articles of impeachment.
In an interview with The Western Journal at the time, Gosar further warned there may be enough Republicans in the Senate who, either willingly or under political pressure, could join with Democrats to convict Trump and remove him from office.
A majority vote is required for an impeachment to succeed in the House. If it is approved by that body, a two-thirds vote is needed in the Senate to convict a president and remove him or her from office.
The Republicans currently enjoy a 53 to 47 majority, meaning 30 would have to back impeachment for Trump to be removed from office.
In late 1998, the Republican-controlled House voted to impeach then-President Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice.
A few months later, 55 senators (including all 45 Democrats) voted against conviction for perjury, while 50 (once again including all the Democrats) voted against conviction for obstruction of justice.
Many political observers and legal experts — including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Alan Dershowitz and former federal prosecutor and current National Review columnist Andrew McCarthy — have argued the entire purpose of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation is to provide a report that will be used by the Democrats as justification to push for the impeachment Trump.
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