[ad_1]
People wearing face masks hold an American flag at the Barclays Center during the “Bring him out!” Stand up for democracy ”, a day after supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in the Brooklyn neighborhood of New York, New York, United States, January 7, 2021.
Jeenah Moon | Reuters
The House could decide next week to impeach President Donald Trump if Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet do not remove the president by that date, a senior Democrat said on Friday.
Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the fourth House Democrat, told CNN the chamber could act “as early as the middle of next week.” She said the House could take steps to bring in articles of impeachment without going through committee hearings and votes.
The House braced to impeach Trump for an unprecedented second time after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol on Wednesday and delayed Congress’ official tally of President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory. At least five people, including a United States Capitol Police officer, have died as a result of the attack on the legislature.
Trump spoke to his supporters before they stepped on Capitol Hill, launching conspiracy theories that widespread fraud cost him the election. He lied to them about the results for two months before admitting Thursday that a “new administration” would take power.
Biden will take office on January 20. Democrats have called for Trump’s impeachment because they warn he could further degrade democratic institutions or put more lives at risk during his final days in office.
But it’s unclear whether they have enough time to impeach the president before inauguration day – or whether Republicans will join them in the process.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., on Thursday called on the Pence and Trump cabinet to remove Trump using the 25th Amendment. They said he could not stay in office after inciting an “insurgency”. More than 190 other lawmakers, including just one Republican, have also called for Trump’s impeachment since the attack.
Pelosi and Schumer said invoking the 25th Amendment, which requires the support of Pence and a Cabinet majority, would be the fastest way to impeach Trump. However, Pence is reportedly not supporting the move. As officials including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the prospect of impeaching Trump, they decided not to take the plunge just yet.
The day after hundreds of rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi once again said Vice President Mike Pence should invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office or that she would initiate impeachment proceedings against the president at a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on January 7, 2021.
Melina Mara | The Washington Post | Getty Images
Pelosi and Schumer threatened Thursday to move forward with impeachment if Pence and the Cabinet failed to act. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerry Nadler, DN.Y., on Thursday called for the impeachment of the president. He said he could take steps to speed up the process.
“We have a limited time to act,” Nadler said in a statement. “The nation cannot afford a long and drawn-out process, and I support bringing articles of impeachment directly to the House.”
Democrats will hold a caucus call on Friday where they are expected to discuss the president’s impeachment plans.
The Democratic-led House would have enough support to impeach Trump, likely with a handful of Republican votes. The chamber did this once in December 2019.
But the GOP-controlled Senate, which acquitted the president last year, may not follow suit. Only one Republican – Mitt Romney of Utah – voted to impeach Trump after his first impeachment trial.
Until Democrat-elected Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia are sworn in to seal a Democratic majority, Republicans will hold a 51-48 advantage in the Senate. A two-thirds vote to remove Trump would need 66 votes, with 18 Republicans on board.
At least one Republican who voted against removing Trump the first time would think about it more seriously now.
“If the House, they get together and have a process, I would definitely consider any items they might come up with, because as I told you, I believe the president disregarded his oath of office . … “Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb, told CBS on Friday.
Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., argued in a Friday tweet that impeaching Trump now “would do more harm than good.” He said the effort to remove a president who helped trigger a siege on Capitol Hill “would not only fail in the Senate, but set a dangerous precedent for the future of the presidency.”
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.
[ad_2]
Source link