Ocasio-Cortez: ‘I want to see every Republican go on the record and knowingly vote against impeachment’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told reporters Tuesday that she wants the House to vote to impeach President Trump since it will force Republicans to take a vote on the issue.

“I want to see every Republican go on the record and knowingly vote against impeachment of this president, knowing his corruption, having it on the record so that they can have that stain on their careers for the rest of their lives,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on potential impeachment inquiry:

“I want to see every Republican go on the record and knowingly vote against impeachment of this president knowing his corruption, having it on the record … because this is outrageous to protect the amount of lawlessness.” pic.twitter.com/FCGzNeiccI

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 10, 2019

“It is beyond time, and we have to end this lawlessness and corruption coming out of the White House,” she said. 

Ocasio-Cortez earlier had tweeted out criticism of Trump in the context of reports that the House Oversight and Reform Committee has been reviewing military expenses spent at Trump’s Turnberry resort in Scotland. 

The President is corrupt and must be impeached. https://t.co/L4fS2pExDe

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 7, 2019

Democrats increasingly are leaning into questions about whether Trump’s businesses are profiting off his presidency as they consider impeachment.

House Democrats have been divided over whether to go forward with impeachment.

They lack the 218 votes needed to impeach Trump, though a majority of the caucus now does support impeachment.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) opposes impeachment, arguing it could hurt Democrats in some swing districts and that the party is better off seeking to defeat Trump at the ballot box.

She and other critics have also noted that Trump is very unlikely to be convicted in the Senate. That would require 67 votes in a chamber with 53 Republicans.

Some Democrats say that even if the Senate does not convict Trump, the House should impeach him to force the Senate into a vote.