WASHINGTON — Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives moved closer Thursday to starting formal impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.
The House Judiciary Committee voted 24 to 17, along party lines, to approve the measure resolution setting out procedures for impeachment proceedings in committee.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon of the 5th District of Delaware County and Madeleine Dean of the 4th District of Montgomery County voted in favor of the resolution; Republican Guy Reschenthaler of Allegheny County’s 14th District voted against.
That’s what it’s all about.
Payouts. Sorry. Speculation.
Here’s why @Justice conducts an impeachment inquiry. Nobody is above the law. https://t.co/J1ZY1JLQ3z
— Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (@RepDean) September 12, 2019
The vote took place after two hours of heated debate about Democrats’ motivations. The committee’s Democratic leaders urged lawmakers to proceed carefully and responsibly before deciding to formally recommend articles of impeachment.
“This committee is engaged in an investigation that will allow us to determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment against President Trump,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.
Nadler stressed that the committee’s investigation will go beyond allegations that Trump obstructed justice during former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. Democrats also intend to investigate allegations of “federal election crimes, self-sufficiency, violations of the Constitution’s emoluments clause, and failure to defend our nation against current and future attacks by foreign adversaries,” Nadler said.
There seems to be some confusion…
Serious and credible allegations have been made against the president.
It shouldn’t be that complex.
Yes. We are conducting an impeachment inquiry. pic.twitter.com/UwxKl1q8Tu
— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (@RepMGS) September 12, 2019
According to a New York Times review. Rep. Michigan’s Justin Amash was the only House Republican to support the impeachment inquiry, but he left the GOP in July, declaring himself an independent.
Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have accused their colleagues of tiptoeing around initiating impeachment proceedings – an issue that is dividing the Democratic caucus and which some moderate members say could harm the party’s message heading into 2020.
US House of Representatives overturns attempt to consider impeachment
Reschenthaler called the Democrats’ move “nothing more than an investigation to launch an investigation.”
The Democratic committee shrugged off criticism from its colleagues about semantics and procedure.
“Yes, we are conducting an impeachment inquiry,” Scanlon said. “You haven’t read the proceedings? I think there is no question. This is an investigation.
Some have called the trial an impeachment inquiry; others call it an impeachment inquiry. “There is no legal difference between these terms and I don’t want to argue about nomenclature anymore,” Nadler said. “The conduct under investigation poses a threat to our democracy. We have an obligation to respond to this threat, and we are doing so.”
