The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House sets up next steps on impeachment
Pelosi: Democrats must move fast; Trump ready to get ‘back to business.’
House Democrats moved aggressively Thursday to draw up formal articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying he “leaves us no choice” but to act swiftly because he’s likely to corrupt the system again unless removed before next year’s election.
The announcement was derided immediately by Trump and other leading Republicans as a sham and a hoax. Democrats say it is their duty, while Republicans say it will cost Pelosi her majority in the House. Here’s a look at where the process stands:
What comes next?
Pelosi said the House of Representatives would begin drafting impeachment articles, which are
the allegations against the president.
The House Judiciary Committee said it would convene a hearing on Monday to allow its lawyers and those for the Intelligence Committee to formally present the evidence in the inquiry. The witness lineup suggested the panel could consider both the president’s dealings with Ukraine and whether he obstructed justice in trying to thwart the special counsel’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign had a role in Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
Then what happens?
Democrats familiar with the matter think the Judiciary panel is on track to begin publicly debating and voting on articles by the end of next week, despite uniform Republican opposition. That would lay the groundwork for a possible vote to impeach the president by Dec. 20, the final day Congress is scheduled to be in session this year.
Approval of the articles of impeachment are considered likely in the Democratic-majority House. That would be followed by a trial next year in the Republican-dominated Senate, where conviction seems unlikely.
What led to this point?
At the core of the impeachment probe is a July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump pressed the leader to announce investigations of Democrats including political rival Joe Biden at the same time the White House was withholding military aid from its ally bordering an aggressive Russia.
A two-month inquiry by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee concluded that Trump abused his power with his actions.
Has this happened before?
Drafting articles of impeachment is a milestone moment, only the fourth time in U.S. history that Congress has tried to remove a president.
But no president has ever been removed as a direct result of impeachment. One, Richard Nixon, resigned before he could be removed. Two, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, were impeached by the House but not convicted by the Senate.
What do the Democrats say?
Pelosi delivered her historic announcement in solemn tones at the Capitol, drawing on the Constitution and the Founding Fathers in forcefully claiming Congress’ oversight of the president in the nation’s system of checks and balances.
Pelosi emphasized the Russia connection, from special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into 2016 election interference to the president’s phone call with Zelenskiy that set off alarms in Washington.
It’s Russia and President Vladimir Putin who benefited most from Trump’s actions toward Ukraine, she said.
“All roads lead to Putin. Understand that,” she declared at a news conference. “That was the aha moment.”
She responded sharply when asked later if she hates Trump.
Pelosi said the president’s views and politics are for the voters to judge at elections but impeachment “is about the Constitution.” She said that as a Catholic, she does not hate the president but rather is praying for him daily.
“So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that,” she added.
What do the president and his allies say?
Before the announcement, Trump seemed to welcome the coming fight, calling Democrats “crazy” in a pair of tweets that urged them to get the process over with quickly so he could defend himself in the Republican-controlled Senate.
“If you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business,” he wrote.
Afterward, he said Democrats were trying to “Impeach me over NOTHING,” and setting a damaging precedent.
Trump also tweeted that he didn’t believe Pelosi was praying for him.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized Democrats for focusing on impeachment over other issues, though many House-passed bills are waiting for action in his chamber. “It’s all impeachment, all the time,” he said.
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to panel chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., on Thursday reiterating his demand for a hearing with GOP-selected witnesses that would take place before articles of impeachment are considered.
Collins wrote that the minority party is entitled to its own hearing.
“Considering the haste with which this sham impeachment has been conducted, it is imperative that you contact me or my office as soon as possible to consult on scheduling the requested minority hearing day,” Collins wrote.
Nadler said only that he’d review Collins’ request to hold a minority day of hearings.