Of the 222-person Democratic caucus, the House has reached a vast majority of 185 co-sponsors for an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump and the chamber has plans of introducing the measure on Monday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats are calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to have Trump removed from office, or for the president to willingly step down.
After a very long phone call with other Democrats discussing impeachment, Pelosi said, “It is the hope of members that the president will immediately resign. But if he does not, I have instructed the Rules Committee to be prepared.”
UPDATE to the update: We’ve just hit 180 cosponsors of the Article of Impeachment drafted by Rep @davidcicilline, @RepRaskin, me and @HouseJudiciary staff.
We will introduce the Article of Impeachment this Monday during the House’s pro forma session. https://t.co/qm7LmXhOgK
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 9, 2021
With President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration now just days away, it is unlikely that impeachment would make it through both the House and Senate in time.
Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger was the first GOP member of the House to call for President Trump to be removed through the 25th Amendment and Senator Ben Sasse, a known Trump critic, said he would “definitely consider” impeachment articles if they were brought forth.
Senator Lisa Murkowski claims Trump’s leadership of the GOP makes her question whether she should remain in the party and became the first Republican to call on the President to resign.
“I think he should leave,” said the Alaska Senator. “He said he’s not going to show up. He’s not going to appear at the inauguration. He hasn’t been focused on what is going on with COVID.”
“I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage,” she added.
