House Democratic leaders were successful Wednesday in staving off a bid to impeach President TrumpDonald John TrumpLiz Cheney: ‘Send her back’ chant ‘inappropriate’ but not about race, gender Booker: Trump is ‘worse than a racist’ Top Democrat insists country hasn’t moved on from Mueller MORE, but the effort is far from dead.
A handful of Democrats added their names last week to the long list of lawmakers now endorsing an impeachment inquiry, growing the tally to more than a third of the caucus.
Rep. Al GreenAlexander (Al) N. GreenTrump says he won’t watch Mueller testimony The Memo: Fears of violence grow amid Trump race storm History in the House: Congress weathers unprecedented week MORE, the Texas Democrat who forced last week’s impeachment vote, is threatening to revisit the issue later this cycle. And Rep. Steve Cohen
Stephen (Steve) Ira CohenHere are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment How Trump suddenly brought Democrats together on a resolution condemning him The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Trump digs in ahead of House vote to condemn tweet MORE (D-Tenn.), who had introduced articles of impeachment in the last Congress, says he plans to do so again, likely after the long August recess.
“I’ve been thinking about it the whole year, and I’ve annotated the last articles we had that had encompassed everything he had done at the time of their filing, in November of 2017, to include what I think are the most important impeachable actions,” Cohen told The Hill.
“I suspect by sometime in the fall I’ll probably file it, but it depends on his additional, further impeachable behavior, if more is exhibited,” he continued. “I expect it will be.”
An escalation in the Democratic effort to oust the president could deepen the dilemma facing Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiDemocrats should rise above and unify against Trump’s tweets 10 questions for Robert Mueller Ocasio-Cortez tears into Trump’s immigration agenda: ‘It’s about ethnicity and racism’ MORE (D-Calif.) and her leadership team, who have walked a delicate line between discouraging impeachment, which most voters oppose, without incensing a liberal base that’s grown increasingly outraged with Trump’s behavior — and the go-slow strategy of Democratic leaders.
Pelosi and the party’s top brass favor a methodical investigative approach, featuring a series of committee probes into Trump’s actions, including those related to former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerTop Republican considered Mueller subpoena to box in Democrats Kamala Harris says her Justice Dept would have ‘no choice’ but to prosecute Trump for obstruction Dem committees win new powers to investigate Trump MORE‘s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
“We have six committees that are working on following the facts in terms of any abuse of power, obstruction of justice and the rest that the president may have engaged in,” Pelosi said hours before the vote on Green’s impeachment resolution. “That is the serious path that we are on.”
Still, a growing number of Democrats are backing the more aggressive move to launch an impeachment inquiry, with at least four lawmakers — Reps. Peter WelchPeter Francis WelchHere are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment Sanders: ‘I’m only grumpy most of the time’ Hillicon Valley: Hacker group targeted electric grid | House Democrats press CBP over facial recognition program | Senators offer bill to protect health data | Groups file FCC complaint over carriers’ use of location data MORE (Vt.), Bill Pascrell
William (Bill) James PascrellHere are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment How Trump suddenly brought Democrats together on a resolution condemning him 82-year-old House Democrat asks ‘The Squad’ if he can join MORE (N.J.), Ann Kirkpatrick
Ann KirkpatrickHere are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment The House Democrats who voted to kill impeachment effort House votes to kill impeachment effort against Trump MORE (Ariz.) and Rick Larsen
Richard (Rick) Ray LarsenTwo Democrats vow to press forward on Trump impeachment Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment WHIP LIST: The 87 House Democrats backing an impeachment inquiry MORE (Wash.) — endorsing the effort last week after Trump implored four minority congresswomen to “go back” to their countries.
The announcements brought the tally of Democratic impeachment supporters to 87. And that list is likely to grow after Mueller testifies before both the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees on Wednesday.
Rep. Jamie RaskinJamin (Jamie) Ben RaskinHouse gears up for Mueller testimony Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment How Trump suddenly brought Democrats together on a resolution condemning him MORE (D-Md.), a member of the Judiciary panel who supports an impeachment inquiry, noted that Mueller’s report spotlighted 10 episodes when Trump potentially obstructed justice, as well as “massive evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian nationals.” He’s hoping voters will be swayed by the public testimony.
“What we’re hoping for is that there will be some public clarity about what is really in the Mueller report,” said Raskin, a former professor of constitutional law. “We want some basic public education about it.”
Cohen had introduced five articles of impeachment in 2017, which charged Trump with obstructing justice in firing former FBI director James ComeyJames Brien Comey10 questions for Robert Mueller Comey pens blog revealing what he would ask Mueller in upcoming testimony FBI’s spreadsheet puts a stake through the heart of Steele’s dossier MORE; violating the foreign emoluments clause –– which bars public officials from receiving gifts from foreign governments without Congress’s consent –– and the domestic emoluments clause, which bars the president from profiting from his office; and undermining two of the country’s central institutions –– the courts and the press –– in ways that threaten the health of the nation’s democracy.
The Tennessee liberal, who chairs the Judiciary Committee’s subpanel on the Constitution, has held off on reintroducing any impeachment measures since taking that gavel. But he’s been keeping close tabs on Trump’s actions and adding provisions to his previous articles to include the administration’s stonewalling of congressional investigations, as well as some of the race-based episodes highlighted in Green’s resolution, including Trump’s recent attacks on Reps. Rasida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan OmarIlhan OmarLiz Cheney: ‘Send her back’ chant ‘inappropriate’ but not about race, gender Booker: Trump is ‘worse than a racist’ Chris Wallace presses Stephen Miller on ‘send her back’ chant at Trump rally MORE (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley
Ayanna PressleyLiz Cheney: ‘Send her back’ chant ‘inappropriate’ but not about race, gender Trump campaign aide says president ‘a compassionate man’ and ‘not a racist’ Trump campaign aide defends tweets: Congresswomen made ‘very disturbing statements’ MORE (D-Mass.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOcasio-Cortez tears into Trump’s immigration agenda: ‘It’s about ethnicity and racism’ George Takei: US has hit a new low under Trump #IStandWithErica trends after Georgia Democratic lawmaker says she was told to ‘go back where you came from’ MORE (D-N.Y.).
Cohen said he wants to hear Mueller’s testimony, as well as that from other members of Trump’s inner circle — including Don McGahn, the former White House counsel, and Corey LewandowskiCorey R. LewandowskiThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Trump hits media over ‘send her back’ coverage House gears up for Mueller testimony Judiciary issues blitz of subpoenas for Kushner, Sessions, Trump associates MORE, Trump’s former campaign manager — before introducing his resolution.
“There are more and more things that come up that need to be included,” Cohen said.
Reigniting the impeachment debate in the fall could prove to be a headache for Pelosi and Democratic leaders, who are laser focused on keeping control of the House in 2020, largely by protecting vulnerable lawmakers in swing districts where the issue could pose a liability. Trump, meanwhile, has kept the issue in the public eye by hammering Democrats for conducting a “witch hunt.”
“This should never be allowed to happen to another President of the United States again!” he tweeted after Green’s resolution failed.
Green’s resolution, accusing the president of inciting racial tensions across the country, highlighted the Democratic fissures. Siding with Pelosi, 137 Democrats voted to table the measure, effectively killing it. But 94 Democrats bucked leadership and joined Green — a jump from the 66 Democrats who supported a similar resolution, also sponsored by Green, in January of 2018.
The list of Democrats opposing the motion to table featured several standout names, including members of the leadership team — Reps. Katherine ClarkKatherine Marlea ClarkDemocratic staffer says Wendy Davis will run for Congress Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment Democratic leaders seek balance amid liberal push to go big on immigration MORE (Mass.), David Cicilline
David Nicola CicillineDemocratic lawmaker calls asylum, refugee programs ‘crown jewel’ of immigration system House Democrat: Mueller testimony will help people ‘understand the gravity’ of Trump’s conduct Rubio criticizes reporters, Democrat for racism accusations against McCain MORE (R.I.) and Ted Lieu
Ted W. LieuHere are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment House Democrat says he still gets told to ‘go back’ to China Ted Lieu: Trump a ‘racist ass’ MORE (Calif.) — and the chairmen of the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Jerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerWhy are we permitting federal child abuse at our border? Trump knocks Mueller after deal struck for him to testify House Democrats request briefing on Epstein, Acosta MORE (N.Y.).
Both Clark and Nadler said afterwards that they don’t support an immediate move to impeachment, but were simply protesting leadership’s decision to table Green’s resolution, in lieu of referring it to the Judiciary Committee.
“This is not a change in my position. I just believe that these resolutions should go to the committee of jurisdiction,” Clark said. “I still think that our oversight hearings, backed up by the courts, is a strategy that is working and that we should maintain that course. But we’re taking no tools off the table.”
Nadler, who has reportedly pressed Pelosi behind closed doors to launch an impeachment inquiry, said it’s “premature to say”if he would have acted on a referral to his panel.
“I thought it was the wrong motion. … I thought it should have been referred to the Judiciary Committee,” he said. “We’re investigating the president, so I’ve said all options are on the table.”
Green, meanwhile, said he was encouraged by the growing support, versus the two measures he brought to the floor in the last Congress, and vowed to force votes on another resolution this cycle — if no one else does.
“The process isn’t over,” he said after Wednesday’s vote. “I’ve said all along this is not something I desire to do. But if it is not done by someone, then I will.
“The president, at some point, will be impeached.”
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