The single impeachment article, introduced when the House entered a short pro-forma session Monday, reveals Trump’s false claims that he won the election and his speech to the public on January 6 before rioters break the Capitol. It is also called Trump’s call by Georgia’s Republican secretary of state where the President urged him to find “enough” votes for Trump to win the state.
“All of this put President Trump in jeopardy of the security of the United States and its government institutions,” the mission says. “It threatened the integrity of the democratic system, hindered the peaceful transition of power, and hindered the coequal branch of government. So it betrayed trust as president, to the obvious detriment of the people of the United States. “
The resolution, introduced by Democrats David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Ted Lieu of California, named the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, noting that it is “ prohibits anyone who has engaged in a counter-revolution or insurgency against the United States. States “from holding office.
House Republicans are urging Democrats not to pursue impeachment, arguing that such a move would be divisive. Instead, the house’s Head of Minorities, Kevin McCarthy, in a letter to GOP colleagues, lists four possible responses to the Jan. 6 attack. McCarthy, citing feedback from members, cited the potential for “intent to criticize under House rules,” as well as a bipartisan commission to investigate disputes, according to the letter. He did not specify who would be criticized.
McCarthy also proposed a renewal of the Electoral Counting Act of 1887, which will guide the electoral certification process, as well as “legislation to boost voter confidence” in future legislation. It is not clear what these last two cases should have to do with the attack, but the lies that came from GOP lawyers during the certification process and how it relates to widespread voting fraud are not at all there.
Speaking on a call with House Republicans Monday, McCarthy pointed out to his colleagues that Trump was partly to blame for the riot, and that Trump acknowledged to McCarthy that he blamed some of the unrest, according to someone who knew the call.
However, McCarthy said he was against impeachment, instead advocating the alternatives he was proposing and suggesting that there should be a bipartisan commission to get all the facts first, according to a source on the call.
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, summoned by House Democrats on Monday, announced the idea of criticizing Trump as an “abdication” and made it clear she is not willing to consider an option, according to someone on the call.
Impeachment testing could make Biden’s agenda worse
Pelosi told House Democrats Sunday afternoon that the House would vote on impeachment this week unless Pence moves to call the 25th Amendment with a majority of the cabinet to take Trump out of power.
Still, the House Democrats ’race toward impeachment is causing problems for Biden’s incoming administration, as a Senate lawsuit threatens to block the opening days of Biden’s presidency . While some Democrats had suggested waiting to send the impeachment resolution to the Senate until after the first 100 days in office, Hoyer and other major Democrats said Monday they wanted to do so immediately.
As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will not bring the Senate back from recess before Jan. 19, that would push the lawsuit to the start of Biden’s administration.
At a press conference Monday, Biden acknowledged that impeachment could make it harder for him to prove his cabinet or pass another incentive bill. He said he hoped the Senate could spend half the day on nominations and legislation and the other half on the lawsuit, and was waiting to hear back from the Senate parliament.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who will take control of the chamber when Biden is handed over on Jan. 20, is examining whether emergency authority should be used to try to seize the Senate. recall and hold the lawsuit before Trump leaves office, according to a senior Democratic supporter. . But this would need McConnell ‘s support to achieve this under the authority given to the directors in 2004, although it does not require the support of all 100 elders.
“We have to do several things at once, but we have had to move the agenda as well,” Schumer said. “Yes, we have to do both.”
As Biden and the Senate strategize for a possible lawsuit, it is clear that Democrats are pushing ahead with an impeachment vote.
Cicilline said Monday “we already have the numbers” to impeach Trump, and he expected some Republicans to vote for him as well, unlike the 2019 House votes in December to impeach him. Trump.
“I expect we will have Republican support,” Cicilline said. “I think it is urgent that the President be ousted immediately. “
House to vote first on 25th resolution change
Democrats on Monday were trying to take a resolution from Raskin urging Pence and the Cabinet to call the 25th Amendment. Hoyer asked for unanimous permission to bring the resolution up, but a West Virginia GOP representative said. Alex Mooney objected to the application. Pelosi has said Democrats will move to introduce the resolution for a floor vote on Tuesday.
“There is strong support in Congress for impeaching the President a second time,” she said.
Multi-House Republicans are considering voting for a high-profile, although none came out in public in support. Some House Republicans are also debating in private whether they should fine Trump as a way of countering dissatisfaction with the President’s actions without joining the efforts of the Democrats to impeach him, according to several GOP sources, although Pelosi on Monday closed the door to go that way. .
“I suggested that this would have bipartisan support and it makes more sense since the establishment is a week away,” Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican of Nebraska, said in a statement. “But the Democrats he spoke to were not I’m very vigilant. “
Consideration for Iowa GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said she “believes that imploring the President with just a few days left in his term would only further divide the American people and make it more difficult for President Joe Biden to unite the country. “
Representative. Tom Reed, a Republican in New York and co-chairman of the Caucus Problem Solvers, told his GOP colleagues that he believes Trump’s crackdown – not snap impeachment – is the right answer, according to multiple sources on the call, a sign that Democrats could have a hard time winning a large number of Republicans on the impeachment vote.
And some House Republicans are keeping their options open.
This story was updated with further improvements Monday.
CNN’s Sarah Mucha, Ali Zaslav, Alex Rogers and Daniella Diaz contributed to this report.