Tuesday, January 12, 2021

With Support from Dems in AZ Delegation, House of Representatives Moving Closer to Second Impeachment of Trump

Posted By on Tue, Jan 12, 2021 at 2:12 PM

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click to enlarge With Support from Dems in AZ Delegation, House of Representatives Moving Closer to Second Impeachment of Trump
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Rep. Tom O'Halleran: “With American blood on his hands, Donald Trump should not remain in the highest seat of power in the free world.”

Following the Trump-incited riots last week in Washington, House Democrats are pushing to impeach the president for a second time. Politico reports today:

The House will take its first formal step toward removing President Donald Trump Tuesday, with Democrats warning he presents a grave and immediate threat to the nation despite having just a week left in office.

Democrats’ push to force Trump out — first with a vote later Tuesday calling on Vice President Mike Pence to take unilateral action and then an impeachment vote Wednesday — is barreling to the floor at unprecedented speed.

“This is a solemn day,” House Rules Chair Jim McGovern said as his panel moved quickly to tee up the resolution intended to pressure Pence. The Massachusetts Democrat, who was steps away from the doors as rioters attempted to pound their way into the chamber last Wednesday, rebuked Trump for urging his supporters to march on the Capitol where their insurrection temporarily halted certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

“He called together an angry mob, he filled them with falsehoods and false hope. And then he sent them to the U.S. Capitol,” McGovern said. “It is past time for the vice president to do the right thing here.”

Over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Tom O'Halleran joined the four other Democrats in the House delegation—Reps. Raul Grijalva, Ann Kirkpatrick, Greg Stanton and Ruben Gallego—in announcing he would support impeachment proceedings if Vice President Mike Pence and the president's cabinet did not take action to remove Trump via the 25th Amendment.

“Today, it’s clear to me that the Vice President and President Trump’s Cabinet have no intention of taking action," O'Halleran said over the weekend. "Moreover, we’ve seen just how quickly things can escalate; with American blood on his hands, Donald Trump should not remain in the highest seat of power in the free world for even the next 11 days. I am joining my colleagues on a resolution to draw up Articles of Impeachment to remove Donald Trump from office, preventing him from becoming a further threat to our national security."

O'Halleran cited his past career as a cop in announcing his decision.

"As a former law enforcement officer and criminal investigator, I spent my career gathering facts and evidence to pursue truth and justice," O'Halleran said in a prepared statement. "Today, I am using the facts at hand to inform my decision to act to remove a threat to our nation: Donald Trump refused to concede in a free and fair election and incited insurrection by domestic terrorists who scaled walls and strode armed through our Capitol, threatening lives and desecrating the building that represents our very democracy. In our democracy, we hold elected officials accountable when they break the public trust and put their own interests before the good of our country.”