Key democrats urge Pelosi to go ahead with impeachment investigation

WASHINGTON – Several Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have urged President Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Monday night, to open an impeachment proceeding against President Donald Trump while one of her former White House aides planned to challenge a Congressional assignment on Tuesday.

At a weekly meeting of Democratic leaders in Pelosi's offices on Capitol Hill, representatives Jamie Raskin, D-MD, David Cicilline, DR., And Joe Neguse, D-Colo, all advocated for launching a dismissal investigation if former ex-White House lawyer, Don McGahn, did not testify at the hearing scheduled Tuesday before the Judiciary Committee who has the power to initiate impeachment proceedings. McGahn's legal team said Monday night that he would not appear because Trump had ordered him to not comply with the panel's subpoena.

"It was a big debate and was long and very moving," NBC News told a source at the meeting of Democratic leaders.

According to Cicilline, an indictment investigation could be used to force the Trump administration to comply with the subpoenas of certain witnesses to testify or to provide the requested documents.

Raskin, a former constitutional law professor at American University, said he was supportive of opening an imputation poll so Democrats could access information. investigated as part of their investigations, arguing that other Democrats, including chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, have said: Calif., have recently done. Raskin, however, stated that he was not in favor of dismissal.

The indictment was also evoked at a separate weekly meeting Monday night between Democratic leaders and committee chairs, including by representative Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., Another member of the Judiciary Committee.

The debate that took place Monday in both meetings highlighted the growing differences within the party, as more and more members of the House democratic caucus are in favor of opening a new party. impeachment procedure and that the principal leaders remain opposed.

"We have always said that we will bring another one as we get information," Pelosi said at the meeting to its members, still suspicious of open-ended calls that seem to be growing among simple members. "We still have some unused leads here," she added, referring specifically to the Democrats' ability to use the disregard inherent in defying subpoenas.

Many Democrats remain frustrated with the administration's efforts to ignore Congressional summons, and are now facing greater pressure to consider dismissal after Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich.

"If Don McGahn does not testify, it's time to open a dismissal investigation," Cicilline said in an interview with MSNBC's "Meet the Press Daily," Monday night.

The Speaker of the Democratic House Caucus, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Told reporters that Democrats should not proceed to dismissal so quickly.

"We are going to debate how best to proceed but I think we can not go from 0 to 60," said Jeffries, adding, "No one is above the law, not even the president of the United States of America. , not the Attorney General, not the Treasury Secretary. We will make sure to teach them this lesson one way or the other. "

Alex Moe

Alex Moe is a Capitol Hill producer for NBC News that covers the House of Representatives.

Rebecca Shabad is a Congressional reporter for NBC News, based in Washington.