WASHINGTON (AP) — The House overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to kill a resolution from a liberal Democratic lawmaker to impeach President Donald Trump as most Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the move.
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, said Trump had associated his presidency with causes rooted in bigotry and racism. To back his claim accusing Trump of high misdemeanors, Green cited incidents such as Trump’s blaming both sides for violence at a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and his recent sharing of hateful, anti-Muslim videos posted online by a fringe British extremist group.
After his resolution was read aloud, the House voted 364-58 to table the resolution.
All the no votes came from Democrats, and four Democratic lawmakers voted present. In all, 126 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to table Green’s effort in the GOP-led House.
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in a statement shortly before the vote that while “legitimate questions have been raised about his fitness to lead this nation,” they argued “now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment.”
Several Democratic lawmakers said they agreed that it’s premature to act before special counsel Robert Mueller’s team completes its investigation into Russian election meddling.
Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., said Democratic lawmakers cannot allow themselves to be drawn into a process “that’s not thoughtful or complete or might not even be the conclusion we ought to draw.”
“We ought to let Mr. Mueller complete his full investigation rather than engage in what would essentially be a public relations stunt,” Kildee said. “This is a serious thing. It ought not to be done on a whim.”
Green said on the House floor that he planned to take the road less traveled in seeking Trump’s impeachment. He’s convinced it’s a road worth traveling, but he said, “I ask that no one take this journey with me.”
Afterward, Green said the vote would not deter him from trying again. He said he was already working on additional articles of impeachment.
“I didn’t lobby anybody. I didn’t ask anybody, but I’m grateful for those who did vote with the Constitution. I assure you, it’s a process and this was a step in the process,” Green said.
Pelosi has said any impeachment drive should wait until there’s evidence of an impeachable offense. Another problem for Democrats is that opposing Green’s resolution puts them at risk of angering the party’s rabidly anti-Trump voters. Some Democrats tried talking Green out of his plan. They did the same in October, when he proposed a similar resolution but never demanded a vote on it.
We need a primer on the rules for impeachment-- both the congressional and legal stipulations and the horse-sense rules about how Congress works. This may very well “not be the time” to impeach, because this House would not at this time support impeachment. However, there is every reason in the world to impeach, and on its own merits apart from party discipline only the suborned would vote against it. What would be lost in a failed motion without party discipline? Do you in practical or legal terms only get one shot? It certainly is the right time to do everything we can to move towards impeachment. What can we do-- constructively?
I despise and hate Trump and all that he stands for, but, this was a bad idea at this point.
These shenanigans are only gonna make it harder when the time comes for the real deal. I hope Mr. Green will stick to his excellent R&B career until then.
Yep. If we’re not careful, this could be like the 7,000 votes to repeal Obamacare.
This was an EXCELLENT move by the Democrats!
Now all the gop Representatives are on record supporting tramp.
Once the Mueller indictments come out, this vote can be slammed on their heads, especially in the 2018 campaigns, which kick off in a few weeks.
Democrats have made 2018 a referendum on tramp!