WASHINGTON— House Democrat Al Green forced a vote Wednesday on a resolution that would begin the process of impeaching President Donald Trump Wednesday, But House Republicans quickly shut it down. And a majority of House Democrats also voted against the proposal after Democratic leaders said now isn’t the time for such a vote.
The Texas Democrat wrote a letter to House members on Tuesday acknowledging that Trump has not committed a crime or misdemeanor, but condemning the president for bigotry and incitement of “hostility among Americans based on race, national origin, religion, gender and sexual orientation.”
Speaking on the House floor Wednesday, Green listed consistent actions by the president of inciting hatred and hostility, from his neutral response after a woman was struck and killed in Charlottesville, Virginia, while protesting a white nationalist rally, to describing hurricane victims in Puerto Rico as “wanting everything done for them,” to his recent retweeting of anti-Muslim videos from an Irish white nationalist group.
At his Cabinet meeting Wednesday morning, President Trump mentioned the recent Supreme Court victory as protecting the U.S. from Islamic terrorism.
“We had a tremendous victory the other day in the Supreme Court with the ban,” Trump said. “That was a tremendous victory for this country. Not a victory for me; it was a victory for our country.”
By using a “privileged” motion, Green ultimately forced a vote in the House, his second attempt at introducing a resolution to impeach the president.
“He has harmed the society of the United States, brought shame and dishonor to the office of president of the United States, sowing discord among the people of the United States,” Green said.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy moved to table Green’s motion, which would in effect kill the bill. The House voted in favor of tabling the motion to consider the bill 364-58.
The 58 Democrats who opposed the motion – one-fourth of the Democrats in the House – went against a recommendation from party leaders.
Before the vote, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer released a statement against Green’s resolution, saying “now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment.”
“Right now, congressional committees continue to be deeply engaged in investigations into the president’s actions both before and after his inauguration,” they said. “The special counsel’s investigation is moving forward as well, and those inquiries should be allowed to continue.”