Category: Ted lieu
Lone Democrat’s effort to impeach Trump fails miserably — because of his own party
Dozens of House Democrats turned their back on their colleague who led the latest impeachment effort against President Donald Trump.
Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green’s effort to force a vote to impeach Trump failed miserably on Thursday in a 237-140 vote. Forty-seven Democrats, including all of the Democratic leadership, voted present, while 23 Democrats joined Republicans to table to motion altogether.
‘None of that serious work has been done.’
Although Democrats are typically enthusiastic when given the opportunity to kneecap the administration, both the leadership and the rank-and-file blocked the vote.
“We can’t just impeach someone with no process, without any investigation,” Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California said following the vote.
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Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Democratic leadership echoed this critique, admitting that there was no formal basis to levy the charges against Trump.
“Impeachment is a sacred constitutional vehicle designed to hold a corrupt executive accountable for abuse of power, breaking the law, and violating the public trust,” House Democratic leadership said in a joint statement Thursday. “The effort traditionally requires a comprehensive investigative process, the collection and review of thousands of documents, an exacting scrutiny of the facts, the examination of dozens of key witnesses, congressional hearings, sustained public organizing, and the marshaling of the forces of democracy to build a broad national consensus.”
“None of that serious work has been done, with the Republican majority focused solely on rubber stamping Donald Trump’s extreme agenda,” the statement continues. “Accordingly, we will be voting ‘present’ on today’s motion to table the impeachment resolution as we continue our fight to make life more affordable for everyday Americans.”
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Green originally introduced the articles of impeachment for “Abuse of Presidential Power by Calling for the Execution of Members of Congress,” referencing Trump’s branding of the “Seditious Six” congressional Democrats who urged military servicemen to disobey supposedly “illegal” orders.
The second charge Green cited was the “Abuse of Presidential Power to Intimidate Federal Judges in Violation of the Separation of Powers and Independence of the Judiciary,” referring to Trump’s broad criticism of activist judges.
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