On December 5, 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she has asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler to draft articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.
Pelosi said “Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders, and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment.”
The House speaker’s announcement is a formal indication that the House will move forward with impeaching Trump after listening to weeks of hearings.
Democrats have previously stated that they had not decided whether to draft articles of impeachment against Trump.
Pelosi, speaking on the Speaker’s Balcony in the Capitol building, said that Trump had “abused his power for his own personal political benefit” when he asked the president of the Ukraine president to investigate Joe Biden, a political opponent, and announce a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 election.
“The president’s actions have seriously violated the Constitution, especially when he says and acts upon the belief, Article II says I can do whatever I want. No, his wrongdoing strikes at the very heart of our Constitution, a separation of powers, three co-equal branches, each a check and balance on the other,” Pelosi said.
Continuing she added “Our democracy is what is at stake. The president leaves us no choice but to act, because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”
Speaking later at her weekly press conference, she refused to answer a reporter’s question regarding if the articles of impeachment would include evidence collected by Robert Mueller.
She said “I’m not going to talk about that. My chairmen will be making the recommendation,” she said, referring to the chairs of the committees who will be drafting the articles.”
When asked if she worried about how this would affect the country, she said “This has absolutely nothing to do with politics. I’m really sorry the president made this necessary by his complete disregard for the vision of the founders.”
After wrapping up the press conference, Pelosi returned to answer a question shouted out her by a reporter asking if she hated Trump. She said sternly “As a Catholic I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me … So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.”
Sources:
CBS News: Pelosi: “I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment”
Salon: House Democrats will draft articles of impeachment against Trump, Nancy Pelosi announces
New York Times: Pelosi Says House Will Draft Impeachment Charges Against Trump
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
