'No Choice but To Act': Pelosi Pleads with House To Proceed with Impeachment
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said she’d asked House Democrats to proceed with drawing up articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
Pelosi’s remarks, which were delivered in a brief news conference, came one day after four law professors testified as part of a House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing, according to Fox News.
The Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, essentially took over the inquiry from the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff of California.
“Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairmen to proceed with articles of impeachment,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi: “Today, I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment.” pic.twitter.com/RQM7l83n3G
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 5, 2019
“The president leaves us no choice but to act, because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit,” the California Democrat added earlier, speaking from the U.S. Capitol Building.
“The president has engaged in abuse of power undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections,” she said.
“His actions are in defiance of the vision of our founders and the oath of office that he takes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” the House speaker said.
Democrats have seized on a July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to claim Trump engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukraine.
They argue that Trump planned to withhold military aid from the nation unless Ukraine took action to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
While he was vice president, Joe Biden pressured the Ukrainian government to fire a prosecutor who had investigated Burisma Holdings, an energy company where Hunter has served on the board.
Trump eventually released the aid to Ukraine, which never launched an investigation into the Bidens.
If Trump is impeached, there would be a trial in the Senate, where Trump could only be removed from office by a two-thirds vote.
Not long before Pelosi’s news conference, meanwhile, Trump called on Democrats to impeach him “fast” if they are going to do it at all.
“The Do Nothing Democrats had a historically bad day yesterday in the House. They have no Impeachment case and are demeaning our Country. But nothing matters to them, they have gone crazy,” the president tweeted.
…..trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business. We will have Schiff, the Bidens, Pelosi and many more testify, and will reveal, for the first time, how corrupt our system really is. I was elected to “Clean the Swamp,” and that’s what I am doing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2019
“Therefore I say, if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business. We will have Schiff, the Bidens, Pelosi and many more testify, and will reveal, for the first time, how corrupt our system really is.”
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