Some House Democrats are privately calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to hold a vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry to undermine Republican criticism that the process is illegitimate, Politico reported this week.
So far, Pelosi has refused to schedule a vote, arguing that the Constitution and House rules do not require the lawmakers to do so.
Meanwhile, the White House and its Republican congressional allies contend that such a vote is necessary to legitimize the inquiry per the recognized standards of previous impeachment efforts.
Politico reported:
Some Democratic lawmakers and aides have begun to say privately — and, to a lesser extent, publicly — that the House should just vote to formalize the inquiry, robbing the GOP of its main talking point.
Trump says US military eliminated ‘infamous’ Tren de Aragua leader in lethal strike
Federal judge rules she lacks authority to reinstate fired Yosemite ranger who flew trans pride flag
Op-Ed: Operation Epic Fury and the Lesser Evil
Young McDonald’s Worker in ICU After Co-Worker Doused Him in Boiling Oil, According to Horrified Mom
Spencer Pratt Begins ‘Phase 3’ of ‘Saving LA,’ Reveals He Has Recordings That Will Make Opponent ‘Resign in Shame’
Trump Threatens to ‘Take Back’ D.C. and ‘Run it on a Federal Basis’ as Mamdani-Style Socialist Leads Mayoral Race
Ohio police chief arrested in Florida after grand jury hands down 70-count child sex indictment
California Dems accused of putting sanctuary law over migrant child welfare checks: ‘Real children’
NBA Finals Return to San Antonio, Where Violent Mobs Won’t Rule the Streets Regardless of Who Wins
New UFO Files Reveal Officials Have Pinpointed Location from Which Glowing Orbs Are Originating
Trump’s name remains on Kennedy Center as appeals court weighs emergency request
Clinton judge indefinitely blocks Trump’s $1.776B anti-weaponization fund
Pratt concedes LA mayor race with scathing video teasing next move, bombshell info he holds: ‘Commie animals’
Obama judge rules on effort to block America 250 events at WH and Lincoln Memorial
EXCLUSIVE: ICE nabs multiple convicted killers in single day amid nationwide immigration sweep
…
Though a small but growing chorus of Democrats has started urging a vote simply to undercut this GOP talking point, others say that nothing will stop Trump and his supporters from claiming Democrats’ efforts are unfair and inconsistent with past impeachment procedures. They say the party shouldn’t take the White House’s bait, arguing that the president’s defenders will simply find other reasons to not comply with the inquiry.
The “private” debate on whether or not to hold a vote “is threatening to cleave Democrats’ unified front” in favor of impeachment, the news outlet added.
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) publicly called for a vote, telling Politico,“If Nancy asked me, I would say sure, let’s have a vote. Everybody’s on record, so they’re not going to vote any differently. What’s the danger in having a vote to formalize it?”
House lawmakers voted to allow an investigation into whether to impeach President Bill Clinton and President Richard Nixon. Republicans have pointed to those votes as evidence that Democrats are acting in an unfair and illegitimate manner.
Politico noted:
Trump says US military eliminated ‘infamous’ Tren de Aragua leader in lethal strike
Federal judge rules she lacks authority to reinstate fired Yosemite ranger who flew trans pride flag
Op-Ed: Operation Epic Fury and the Lesser Evil
Young McDonald’s Worker in ICU After Co-Worker Doused Him in Boiling Oil, According to Horrified Mom
Spencer Pratt Begins ‘Phase 3’ of ‘Saving LA,’ Reveals He Has Recordings That Will Make Opponent ‘Resign in Shame’
Trump Threatens to ‘Take Back’ D.C. and ‘Run it on a Federal Basis’ as Mamdani-Style Socialist Leads Mayoral Race
Ohio police chief arrested in Florida after grand jury hands down 70-count child sex indictment
California Dems accused of putting sanctuary law over migrant child welfare checks: ‘Real children’
NBA Finals Return to San Antonio, Where Violent Mobs Won’t Rule the Streets Regardless of Who Wins
New UFO Files Reveal Officials Have Pinpointed Location from Which Glowing Orbs Are Originating
Trump’s name remains on Kennedy Center as appeals court weighs emergency request
Clinton judge indefinitely blocks Trump’s $1.776B anti-weaponization fund
Pratt concedes LA mayor race with scathing video teasing next move, bombshell info he holds: ‘Commie animals’
Obama judge rules on effort to block America 250 events at WH and Lincoln Memorial
EXCLUSIVE: ICE nabs multiple convicted killers in single day amid nationwide immigration sweep
Democrats have long argued that they don’t need a vote to launch formal impeachment proceedings, even if that had been the practice in prior presidential impeachment processes. In fact, House lawyers backed by Pelosi have made that argument in a succession of court cases seeking evidence to support their impeachment inquiry, and proponents of that position worry a formal vote would undercut their legal claims.
Similarly, Democrats are worried that a near-term floor vote would drive away a handful of Republicans who are wavering over whether to support impeachment proceedings. A party-line vote would hand the White House another talking point, they argue: that impeachment is a purely partisan effort by Democrats.
In a letter to Pelosi and the House chairmen pursuing the impeachment inquiry, the White House said the Democrats were conducting a “constitutionally invalid” and “illegitimate” impeachment probe that absolves lawmakers of “taking political accountability.”
The White House said it would not cooperate with the ongoing “partisan” impeachment investigation. Although the letter stopped short of explicitly calling on Pelosi to hold a vote, it all but dared the Speaker to do so.
Most of the 235 members of the House Democratic Caucus support the impeachment probe, but there are still eight who did not, as of Thursday afternoon, a tally from the New York Times revealed.
Story cited here.
