Democrats to Trump: leave office or face impeachment
Arrests underway nationwide after U.S. Capitol attack by Trump supporters
President Trump has 11 days left in office, but still might be impeached. The feds are arresting Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol. And a new lawmaker gets calls for resignation - in her first week. This is "Regular Order" for January 9, 2021.
DEMS PRESS FOR TRUMP’S OUSTER. Support for impeachment exploded on Friday among House Democrats in the aftermath of the Capitol attack. “Trump is a clear and present danger,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). “Our country cannot afford 12 more days with President Trump,” said Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN). An impeachment charge in one plan is titled, 'Incitement of Insurrection.'
PELOSI: RESIGN OR BE IMPEACHED. "It is the hope of Members that the President will immediately resign," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after a virtual meeting with fellow Democrats on Friday. If not, the Speaker said the House was ready to move forward. A final impeachment resolution is expected out on Monday, as over 175 House Democrats have endorsed the effort.
FEW CRACKS IN GOP ON TRUMP. "I want him out," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told the Anchorage Daily News about President Trump on Friday. But she was one of the few Republicans calling for the President's ouster before January 20. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) called the idea of impeachment "offensive" to Trump supporters. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) said it will 'only further divide the American people.'
FEDS SWEEP UP CAPITOL ATTACKERS. From the guy who sat at Nancy Pelosi’s desk, to an man who brought 11 molotov cocktails, and a newly-elected state lawmaker from West Virginia, the feds arrested a variety of people - some identified from social media. Democrats said the goal of the rioters was clear. “The attack on the Capitol was an attempt to stop us from certifying the election," said Rep. Val Demings (D-FL). "It was directly inspired by politicians and others who lied about the election."
MORE VIDEO OF CAPITOL ATTACK. One video from Wednesday showed police officers just opened the doors on the West Front, letting Trump supporters enter with no security checks while the House and Senate debated the electoral votes for President. At two other entrances around the same time, mobs were trying to break down the doors, as the ransacking of the Capitol was underway.
HONORS FOR FALLEN CAPITOL OFFICER. Flags were at half-staff on Friday at the Capitol - but not the White House - for U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died on Thursday night from injuries suffered in the attack by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol. Sicknick is the first USCP officer to die after a confrontation in the Capitol since 1998, when two officers were killed by a gunman at a public entrance on the East Front.
DIVIDE ON TRUMP TWITTER BAN. Democrats hailed the President’s permanent ban from Twitter. "You truly love to see it," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA). "And what took you so long?" said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). The GOP side was not thrilled. "Unacceptable does not even begin to describe this," said Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN). "Stop the Big Tech Censorship!" declared Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
TRUMP RSVP. It wasn’t a surprise, but President Trump announced on Twitter - before he was suspended - that he was not going to show up at Joe Biden’s Inauguration on January 20. That hasn’t happened for an inaugural since Andrew Johnson didn’t attend the swearing-in of U.S. Grant in 1869.
ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN APOLOGIZES. It's not often that someone is in Congress for five days and already faces calls for their resignation. But that's been the first week in Congress for Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL). "Hitler was right on one thing that whoever has the youth has the future," the Illinois Republican said at a pro-Trump rally earlier this week. Miller apologized on Friday, saying she is 'passionately pro-Israel.'
PERDUE CONCEDES DEFEAT IN GEORGIA. With the lead of Jon Ossoff continuing to grow, former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) acknowledged defeat in a Friday statement. It means Democrats will have both Senate seats from Georgia for the first time since the early 1990's. It will give Democrats the Senate majority later this month with the tie-breaking vote of soon-to-be Vice President Kamala Harris.
THE MUSE OF HISTORY. One year ago today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still wouldn't say when the House would officially send articles of impeachment to the Senate against President Trump. Democrats finally moved ahead the next week in an impeachment centered on the President's phone call with the leader of Ukraine.
UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
House meets on Monday.
Senate meets on Tuesday.
President Trump is in Washington.
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Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com
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“Conference reports may be brought up at any time. Any further program will be announced later.”
Fascinating that the apology for a sentence that began "Hitler was right" involved support for Israel, as if that's evidence of not being an anti-Semite. I'm just saddened at the very low quality of people running for and winning federal office is these days. Given that a state legislator was arrested for his part in the assault on the Capitol, I shudder to think about the state level office holders.