Politics
House Introduces Impeachment Article, Calls on Pence To Invoke 25th Amendment
Published
6 days agoon
By
Lili Stenn
- House Democrats have officially taken the first step to impeach President Trump for the second time, filing an article of impeachment Monday that charges him with “incitement of insurrection.”
- The members also introduced a resolution demanding that Vice President Pence invoke the 25th amendment and declare Trump unfit for office.
- The measure is expected to be voted on by the House Tuesday, and once passed, House Speaker Pelosi has said Pence will have 24 hours to respond before Democrats move forward with impeachment.
- In addition to losing his $200k a year pension, his life-time secret service security detail, and his travel allowance, if Trump is impeached and convicted, the Senate could also block him from running for federal office ever again.
- However, conviction requires a 2/3 majority, and no Republican Senators have publicly said they will support impeachment.
House Pushes For Trump Removal
With just nine more days until President Donald Trump leaves office, House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday, charging Trump with “incitement of insurrection.”
The members also rolled out a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment, effectively declaring Trump unfit for office and installing himself as the president for his remaining days in office.
House Republicans have already blocked the first attempt to pass this resolution, meaning Democrats will have to bring it to a full House vote, which they are expected to do tomorrow. Once passed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) has said Pence will have 24 hours to act before Democrats take matters into their own hands and move the impeachment article to the floor for a vote.
There have been contradictory reports as to whether Pence will take this route. Last week, The New York Times reported that he was opposed to invoking the 25th. However, on Sunday, an insider close to the vice president told CNN that he had not yet ruled it out.
Pence’s hesitation may also be representative of the other hurdles the decision faces. In addition to the vice president, a majority of Trump’s Cabinet would also need to agree to deploy the 25th Amendment.
While there have been reports of discussions among some Cabinet members, it remains unclear if a majority support it. That factor is further complicated by the recent resignations of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who have now removed themselves from the process.
Impeachment Process
Democratic leaders have pushed for this method of removal because it would be faster than impeachment, but many other members of the party have said they favor the latter because there would be more consequences for the outgoing president.
If Trump were to be impeached and convicted, he could lose his $200k a year pension, his life-time secret service security detail, and his travel allowance. The move would also enable the Senate to vote by a simple majority to ban Trump — who has openly floated running for president in 2024 — from ever holding federal office again.
However, there is a big catch. While Democrats will have a simple majority once the winners of Georgia’s runoff elections are sworn in, in order for Trump to face any of the scenarios outlined above, he would need to first be convicted by the Senate — a process that requires 2/3 of the vote.
Many Republicans have said they believe Trump should resign or be removed, no Senate Republicans have outright said they favor impeachment. So far, only Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Ne.) has said he would consider convicting the president. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) have both said they want Trump to resign, but neither has directly supported impeachment.
While speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Toomey described Trump’s action as “an impeachable offense,” but argued said there is not enough time to impeach.
His remarks also raise another issue: whether or not a president can be impeached and convicted after they leave office. The House could act quickly to make Trump the first president ever to be impeached twice, but the Senate must hold trials before they can bring the issue to the floor.
Those trials could take weeks, if not months, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) explicitly said in a memo released this weekend they would not even begin until Jan. 19, the day before the inauguration.
NEWS —> McConnell sends memo to GOP senators outlining how an impeachment trial would work if the House goes thru. In essence, McConnell explains how an impeachment trial would consume the first days of Biden’s presidency. Memo exclusively obtained by WaPo https://t.co/q2f2Quum1Z pic.twitter.com/SAkVVsqPvb
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) January 9, 2021
Biden’s Agenda
Democrats are also worried that impeachment proceedings in the Senate would hold up Biden’s first few days in office, a fact that McConnell seemed to promise in his memo, where he detailed how the process would impact Cabinet nominations and Biden’s push for more coronavirus relief.
While speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” this weekend, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said that Pelosi may wait to send the article to the Senate.
“Let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running, and maybe we’ll send the articles sometime after that,” he said.
Biden, for his part, has not said whether he believes Trump should be impeached but has echoed the desire for it to not interfere with his first few days in office.
“What the Congress decides to do is for them to decide,” the president-elect told reporters Friday. “I think it’s important we get on with the business of getting him out of office. The quickest way that will happen is us being sworn in on the 20th.”
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (Business Insider) (The New York Times)
Politics
Biden Outlines $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Plan
Published
2 days agoon
January 15, 2021By
Lili Stenn
- President-elect Joe Biden unveiled a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief stimulus proposal on Thursday.
- Under the plan, $1 trillion would go to direct relief for Americans. This includes a round of $1,400 stimulus checks, an extension and $400 weekly increase to federal unemployment benefits, and a $15 minimum wage.
- The proposal would also allocate $440 billion for aid to local governments and businesses, as well as provide $400 billion to directly fight the coronavirus with more testing and vaccinations, among other efforts.
Biden Outlines Direct Aid in Stimulus Plan
President-elect Joe Biden announced the details of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief stimulus package while speaking at an event in Wilmington, Delaware on Thursday.
Biden described the package, titled “American Rescue Plan,” as a set of emergency measures to immediately address the country’s economic and healthcare needs. The package will be followed by a second, broader relief package in February, which will aim to address more long-term economic recovery efforts.
Most significantly, $1 trillion — more than half of the funding allocated in the first package — will go to direct relief for Americans. Among other measures, the direct aid provisions in the plan include increasing federal unemployment benefits from $300 a week to $400 a week and extending them from March to September.
Biden’s plan also includes $1,400 stimulus checks to top off the $600 already approved in the December stimulus package. However, eligibility for the direct payments would be expanded to families of non-citizen immigrants as well as families with adult dependents.
Additionally, the proposal includes several other measures targeted at directly helping struggling Americans, such as raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, adding billions in funding for child care, and expanding the child tax credit to poor and middle-class families.
Broader Goals
As for the broader economic and pandemic-centered measures, Biden’s package would allocate $440 billion for aid to states, local governments, and businesses. It would also provide $400 billion to directly fight the coronavirus, with a major focus on expanding testing and accelerating vaccine distribution.
Biden has set the dual goals of delivering 100 million vaccines and reopening the majority of K-12 public schools in his first 100 days. To meet that objective, his plan includes $20 billion for a universal vaccination program, $50 billion to expand testing, and $130 billion to help schools reopen safely.
The proposal, overall, meets many of the demands for direct aid that Democrats have pushed for months but have been unable to approve with the Republican-controlled Senate. Now that Democrats hold the presidency and control of both chambers, many members have urged Biden to ask for an even higher price tag.
Biden, for his part, has said he would like to try for a bipartisan majority on his first piece of legislation, but given Republicans months-long resistance to many Democratic asks, that desire is likely a pipe-dream.
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)
Politics
Democrats Ask for Investigation into GOP Members Aiding Rioters
Published
3 days agoon
January 14, 2021By
Lili Stenn
- More than 30 House Democrats signed a letter Wednesday demanding that security officials look into “suspicious behavior and access given to visitors” at the Capitol the day before last week’s insurrection.
- The lawmakers claimed they “witnessed an extremely high number of outside groups” visiting, including guests who “appeared to be associated with the rally at the White House the following day.”
- The letter comes one day after Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) accused her Republican colleagues of bringing rioters into the Capitol the day before for “reconnaissance.”
- Notably, neither the letter nor Sherill herself directly named any members, and these claims have not yet been verified.
Demands for Investigation
Congressional Democrats are demanding an investigation into whether Republican representatives aided the Capitol rioters who lead last Wednesday’s insurrection.
In a letter signed by 31 members Wednesday, lawmakers asked the acting House and Senate Sergeants at Arms to look into “suspicious behavior and access given to visitors” the day right before the attack.
In that letter, the Democrats say that they as well as some of their staffers “witnessed an extremely high number of outside groups” visiting the Capitol.
They pointed out that was unusual because the building has restricted public access since March as part of pandemic protocols. Since then, tourists have only been allowed to enter the Capitol if they were brought in by a member of Congress.
Today I joined with more than 30 of my colleagues in requesting an investigation from the Acting House SAA, Acting Senate SAA, and USCP into the suspicious behavior and access given to visitors to the Capitol Complex on Jan. 5, 2021 – the day before the attacks on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/zpPUSUuSrj
— Rep. Mikie Sherrill (@RepSherrill) January 13, 2021
The members found the tours “so concerning” that they reported them to the Sergeant at Arms the same day.
“The visitors encountered by some of the Members of Congress on this letter appeared to be associated with the rally at the White House the following day,” the letter continued. “Members of the group that attacked the Capitol seemed to have an unusually detailed knowledge of the layout of the Capitol Complex.”
The demands come after Rep. Mikie Sherrill (R-NJ) claimed during a Facebook livestream Tuesday that she saw Republican representatives bringing now-identified rioters into the Capitol the day before the riots for “reconnaissance.” Sherrill also alleged that some of her GOP colleagues “abetted” Trump and “incited this violent crowd.”
Members Under Fire
Neither the letter nor Sherill have directly named any members, and none of these claims have yet been verified. However, over the last few days, a number of Republicans have been condemned for their perceived involvement in inciting the rioters.
In a now-deleted video, right-wing conspiracy theorist and “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander claimed he had planned the rally that took place before the riot with the help of three House Republicans: Paul Gosar (Az.), Andy Biggs (Az.), and Mo Brooks (Al.). All three men voted to undermine the will of the American people and throw out the electoral votes in Arizona following the insurrection.
Biggs and Brooks have both denied that they have any involvement, but Gosar, who tagged Alexander in a tweet he posted just hours before the attack, has not responded to any requests for comment from several outlets.
“Biden should concede,” Gosar wrote. “I want his concession on my desk tomorrow morning. Don’t make me come over there. #StopTheSteaI2021”
Biden should concede. I want his concession on my desk tomorrow morning. Don’t make me come over there. #StopTheSteaI2021 @ali pic.twitter.com/E2kuoWPUVy
— Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) January 6, 2021
While Brooks has denied any involvement in planning the rally, his remarks to the would-be domestic terrorists at the event have sparked widespread condemnation.
“Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass,” he told the crowd. “Are you willing to do what it takes to fight for America?”
Some House Democrats introduced resolutions to censure Brooks for his comments. Other members have also been pushing to invoke Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, a relic of the post-Civil War era which disqualifies people who “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the U.S. from holding public office.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) has also received 47 co-sponsored on her proposed resolution that would start investigations for “removal of the members who attempted to overturn the results of the election and incited a white supremacist attempted coup.”
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)
Politics
House Impeaches Trump By Largest Bipartisan Margin in History
Published
4 days agoon
January 13, 2021By
Lili Stenn
- The House voted to impeach President Donald Trump on Wednesday for “inciting an insurrection,” making him the first-ever president to be impeached twice.
- Ten Republicans broke party ranks to vote in favor of impeachment, which means this is the most bipartisan impeachment in U.S. history.
- Ahead of the vote, sources close to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters he believes Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he was pleased Democrats were moving forward with a vote because it will make it easier to “purge” Trump from the party.
- McConnel later said he has not yet decided whether he will vote to convict Trump. Still, he has refused to convene the Senate before Jan. 19, meaning that as of now, there is little chance that the Senate will conduct a trial and oust Trump before his term ends.
House Debates Impeachment
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 232 to 197 to impeach President Donald Trump on Wednesday for “inciting an insurrection,” making him the first-ever president to be impeached twice.
All Democrats voted in favor of the single article. They were also joined by 10 Republicans, which means this is the most bipartisan impeachment in U.S. history.
The decision was debated on the floor after Vice President Pence rejected Democrats’ calls to invoke the 25th amendment and remove Trump from office.
Most notable among the Republican members who voted to impeach was Liz Cheney (R-WY), the number three House Republican who announced her decision Tuesday night.
“There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,” she said in a statement.
Questionable Path in Senate
No Republican Senators have publicly said they support removing Trump from office.
On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that sources close to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he “has told associates that he believes President Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he is pleased that Democrats are moving to impeach him, believing that it will make it easier to purge him from the party.”
Sources separately told Axios that “there’s a better than 50-50 chance” that McConnell would vote to convict Trump.
McConnell responded to the reports earlier on Wednesday but did not outright dispute many of the claims.
“While the press has been full of speculation, I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate,” he said.
As for whether or not other members of the GOP would follow suit, a top Republican close to McConnell also told Axios that “Senate institutional loyalists are fomenting a counterrevolution” to Trump.
Additionally, McConnell’s advisers have said that he has “privately speculated that a dozen Republican senators — and possibly more — could ultimately vote to convict.” Notably, it would most likely require 17 Republicans to join Democrats in order for Trump to be found guilty.
In regards to a timeline, the Senate is in recess and not set to reconvene until Jan. 19, the day before Joe Biden’s inauguration. McConnell has rejected calls to ask that members return before then, meaning that as of right now there is very little chance that the Senate will conduct a trial and oust Trump before he leaves office.
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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