Pelosi: House will procees to impeachment

She says House will fifirst try to force Pence, Cabinet to oust Trump by invoking 25thAmendment.

House Speaker WASHINGTON —

Nancy Pelosi said Sunday the House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Donald Trump, calling him a threat to democracy after the deadly assault on the Capitol.

Pelosimade the announcement in a letter to colleagues. She said the House will act with solemnity but also urgency with just days remaining before Trump is to leave offiffice on Jan. 20.

“In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both,” she said.

“The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetratedby this President is inten

sifified and so is the immediate need for action.”

Pelosi said that first the House will try to force Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to oust Trump by invokingthe25thAmendment.

House leaders will work today to swiftly pass legislation to do that. If it is blocked by Republicans, which is almost certain, the House will convene for a fullHouse vote Tuesday.

Pelosi explained that the resolution calls on Pence “to convene and mobilize the Cabinet to activate the 25th Amendment to declare the Presidentincapableofexecuting the duties of his offiffice.” Under the procedure, the vice president“wouldimmediately exercise powers as acting President,” shewrote.

Pence is not expected to taketheleadinforcingTrump out, although talk has been circulating about the 25th Amendment option for days inWashington.

Next, the House would move to consider the articles of impeachment, Pelosi said. The day for animpeachment vote was not set.

House Democrats were expected to introduce articles of impeachment today. The strategywouldbe to condemn the president’s actions swiftly but delay an impeachmenttrialintheSenatefor100 days. That would allowPresident-elect Joe Biden to focus on other priorities as soon as he is inaugurated Jan. 20.

RepublicanSen.PatToomey of Pennsylvania on Sunday joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to “resign and go away as soon as possible.”

CorporateAmerica began to tie its reaction to the Capitol riots by tying themtocampaign contributions.

BlueCrossBlueShieldAssociation’s CEO and President KimKeck said itwill not contribute to those lawmakers — all Republicans — who supported challenges to Biden’s Electoral College win. The group “will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy,” Kim said.

Citigroup did not single out lawmakers aligned with Trump’sefffffffffffforttooverturnthe election, but said itwould be pausing all federal political donations for the fifirst three months of the year.

Another ideabeing considered by House leaders was to have a separate vote that would prevent Trump from everholdingoffifficeagain. That could potentially only need a simple majority vote of 51 senators, unlike impeachment, in which two-thirds of the 100-member Senate must support a conviction.