First step to impeach Trump a second time

DEMOCRATS ALSO INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION CALLING ON MIKE PENCE TO INVOKE 25TH AMENDMENT TO REMOVE TRUMP

WASHINGTON: US Democrats began on Monday the process of impeaching President Donald Trump for a historic second time, accusing him of “incitement of insurrection” over his supporters’ deadly storming of the US Capitol.

They also introduced a House resolution calling upon VicePresident Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump by declaring him “unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office”. A vote on the non-binding resolution, which Democrats had hoped to get on Monday, will be taken on Tuesday after Republicans blocked “unanimous consent”, a parliamentary procedure to speed up approval, without requiring a vote.

The move gives Pence 24 hours to remove Trump by invoking the 25th Amendment. If the Vice-President does not respond, Democrats plan to proceed to impeach the President in a vote that will likely come up on Wednesday.

“As our next step, we will move forward with bringing impeachment legislation to the Floor. The president’s threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

The four-page article of impeachment, moved by Representatives Jamie Raskin, Ted Lieu and David Cicilline alleges Trump engaged in high crimes and misdemeanours by “willfully inciting violence against the Government of the United States” for the events that occurred on January 6.

The article says that shortly before Congress convened a joint session to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory, Trump addressed supporters and “made false statements that encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — imminent lawless action at the Capitol”.

If the House again votes to impeach, Trump would be the first US leader to be formally charged for a second time. Though time is running short,

Democrats likely have the votes in the House to impeach Trump again and could draw increased Republican support for the move. Cicilline said the article has enough support for passage, including some Republicans.

“Incited by President Trump, a mob unlawfully breached the Capitol, injured law enforcement personnel, menaced members of congress and the vice-president, interfered with the joint sessions’ solemn constitutional duty to certify the election results and engaged in violent, deadly, destructive and seditious acts,” the article reads.

It also detailed Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results and his appeal to Georgia election officials to “find” the votes he needed to make up the deficit by which he lost.