Dem plans to force House floor vote on impeaching Trump

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) is seeking to force a House floor vote later Wednesday on impeaching President Trump, setting up a tougher decision for Democrats than Republicans.

Green’s resolution is expected to fail, given widespread opposition among Republicans and most Democrats.

House Democratic leaders aren’t in favor of pushing impeachment at this point as they seek to win back the majority next year. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other senior Democrats in believe that talk of impeachment at this point is premature, citing the ongoing special counsel probe into Russian election interference.

{mosads}Democratic leaders are expected to oppose Green’s resolution, but aides said they aren’t whipping rank-and-file members on the measure.

Under House rules, any member can trigger a floor vote on a “privileged” resolution within two legislative days after it is introduced.

Green will use that process to make the House consider his articles of impeachment, which argue that Trump has “brought shame and dishonor to the office of the president” by “sowing discord among the people of the United States.”

As examples, Green’s articles of impeachment cite Trump’s equivocating response to the violence at a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Va., in August, as well as his attacks on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality.

Green said he plans to go to the House floor around noon to start action on his impeachment measure.

House GOP leaders are expected to reject the measure, but Green can still force a procedural vote that will effectively serve as the first vote in Congress on impeaching Trump.

“I’m a person who travels the road less traveled. And I know that this is a bumpy road,” Green said on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” Wednesday morning.

Despite the concerns from fellow Democrats, Green said he is pushing impeachment now as a matter of conscience.

“As I have said before, this is not about Democrats, it is about democracy. It is not about Republicans, it is about the fate of our Republic. May everyone vote their conscience knowing that history will judge us all,” Green wrote in a letter to fellow lawmakers on Tuesday.

The vote could either be a direct referendum on the contents of the measure, or a motion to table the resolution or send it to committee.

At least a handful of fellow Democrats may vote for Green’s resolution.

Green was among six House Democrats last month to unveil articles of impeachment alleging Trump obstructed justice by firing former FBI Director James Comey amid the investigation into Russia’s election meddling; violating the foreign emoluments clause barring public officials from receiving gifts from foreign governments without the consent of Congress; and undermining the judiciary and the press.

Green and Reps. Steve Cohen (Tenn.), Luis Gutiérrez (Ill.), Marcia Fudge (Ohio), John Yarmuth (Ky.) and Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.) were among the Democrats who sponsored the articles of impeachment.

In addition, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) introduced an article of impeachment in July alleging that Trump obstructed justice by firing Comey.