Nancy Pelosi Announces Full Impeachment Vote for Next Week
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled Thursday that the full chamber will vote next week on impeachment.
Pelosi’s remarks in her weekly news conference came the same day the House Judiciary Committee was set to consider two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
“It is urgent,” Pelosi told reporters. “The committee will work on it today.”
“And then next week we’ll take up something,” she added.
The articles of impeachment that Democrats have drawn up accuse Trump of “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress.”
“It is an impeachable offense for the president to exercise the powers of his public office to obtain an improper personal benefit while ignoring or injuring the national interest,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York said at a news conference Tuesday.
“That is exactly what President Trump did when he solicited and pressured Ukraine to interfere in our 2020 presidential election.”
Alleging a quid pro quo, Democrats have taken issue with a July 25 call phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
While Trump did ask Zelensky to look into allegations of shady dealings involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in Ukraine, Democrats have taken things a step further, claiming Trump planned to withhold about $400 million in military aid unless Ukraine publicly announced an investigation of his political opponent (Joe Biden).
While he was vice president, Biden pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who had investigated Burisma Holdings, an energy company where Hunter sat on the board.
Trump eventually released the aid to Ukraine, even though an investigation into the Bidens was never launched.
As for “obstruction of Congress,” Nadler said, “A president who declares himself above accountability, above the American people and above congress’ power of impeachment — which is meant to protect against threats to our democratic institutions — is the president who sees himself as above the law.”
Pelosi said Thursday she will not try to convince moderate Democrats to vote for impeachment.
“We are not whipping this legislation, nor do we ever whip something like this,” Pelosi said.
“People have to come to their own conclusions.”
But Pelosi did say she thinks there’s no debate on the “facts” of the case.
“The facts are clear — irrefutable, in fact,” she said.
Pelosi’s remarks mean it’s possible Trump could be impeached before Congress adjourns for its Christmas recess on Dec. 20, according to the Washington Examiner.
While Trump may very well be impeached, it’s highly unlikely he’ll be removed from office, considering a two-thirds majority in the Republican-controlled Senate would be required to convict him.
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