House Democrat files first articles of impeachment
WASHINGTON — A California Democrat has followed through on threats to file impeachment articles against President Donald Trump, but there remains little indication that the effort will progress in the nearfuture.
The resolution filed Wednesday by Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., is largely identical to a draft he floated last month — one that accuses Mr. Trump of obstructing justice by “threatening, and then terminating” former FBI Director James Comey amid an investigation into former national security adviserMichael Flynn.
The four-page resolution, HR 438, garnered a single co-sponsor upon introduction: Rep. Al Green, DTexas, who has also been an outspoken proponent of impeachment proceedings against Mr. Trump but has not filed a resolution of his own.
After House Democratic leaders expressed concern about his effort, Mr. Sherman said he assured House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi that he wouldn’t ask for a floor vote on impeachment without consulting the Democratic caucus. Ms. Pelosi, D-Calif., has called for the completion of the pending investigations by congressional committees and by Special Counsel Robert Mueller probing Mr. Trump’s Russia ties before entertainingthe notion.
In an interview Wednesday, Mr. Sherman said his decision to file the resolution Tuesday has driven by the House calendar and the timing of his own review process.
Senate health bill
Mr. Trump said Wednesday he will be “very angry” if the Senate fails to pass a revamped Republican health care bill and said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell must “pull it off.”
Mr. Trump’s remarks came a day before Mr. McConnell, R-Ky., planned to release his revised legislation to a closed-door meeting of GOP senators.
Campus sexual assault
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is set to meet Thursday with advocates on all sides of the Obama administration’s controversial approach to cracking down on campus sexual violence as her department weighs whether to continue or reject the federal guidance.
No 2nd term for Yellen?
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen may be seeing the writing on the wall: With Mr. Trump’s mixed messages about her performance, the Fed leader indicated Wednesday that it “may well be” that she will not serve a second term.