Four House Democrats removed themselves as cosponsors of an impeachment resolution targeting President Donald Trump after they found out it did not run through the proper channels for approval.
Reps. Robin Kelly (D-IL), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Jerry Nadler (D-NY) signed on to Rep. Shri Thanedar’s (D-MI) seven articles to impeach Trump on allegations of abuse of power, constitutional violations, and tyranny.
Thanedar filed the resolution on Monday, but by Thursday, all four co-sponsors had removed their names, claiming that they were either added mistakenly or were unaware the measure had not been approved by leadership.
A spokesman for Mfume said the congressman “removed himself as a cosponsor from H. Res. 353 because he was made aware it was not cleared by Democratic leadership and not fully vetted legally — and he preferred to err on the side of caution.”
Kelly’s spokesperson said the Illinois Democrat removed her name from the resolution “after she realized it wasn’t drafted in consultation with House Judiciary Committee, who would normally weigh in on such measures.”
Schakowsky and Nadler did not respond to requests for comment.
But Nadler’s legislative director sent out an email to fellow Democratic aides on Thursday, asking for staffers to let each other know when their boss signs onto a bill or resolution in the future.
“Members can walk away with different impressions of a conversation, and a quick check-in with staff can go a long way in avoiding confusion,” Andrew Heineman wrote in a Thursday email to all Democratic legislative directors, obtained by Politico. “I don’t think any of us want to learn that their boss was added to a bill that’s been introduced from a Google Alert.”
Thanedar is the first Democrat to introduce impeachment articles against Trump in his second term. Democrats twice impeached the president during his first administration, but he was acquitted in the Senate.
House Democratic leaders do not seem inclined to want to go down that road again.
“Impeachment is, at times, a tool that can be used. This president is no stranger to that; he’s been impeached twice,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) told reporters in the Capitol hours before all co-sponsors but Schakowsky removed their names.
“But we don’t have any confidence that House and Senate Republicans would do their jobs. And so this is not an exercise that we’re willing to undertake,” he added.
Several Democrats told the Washington Examiner that they believe Trump has committed “high crimes and misdemeanors,” but trying to impeach him right now is unwise because they don’t have the votes or “courage on the other side.”
“Republicans didn’t do anything when there was an insurrection, when people were fearing for their lives, and they wouldn’t vote to convict,” Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) said. “The folks in those seats haven’t changed.”
DEMOCRATS SEE THE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT INTRODUCED AGAINST TRUMP AS UPHILL BATTLE
Balint also pointed out that few Republicans, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), have dared to speak out against Trump and his administration 100 days into the GOP trifecta.
“So if we can’t even get them for such an obvious, easy statement … we think we’re going to get an impeachment vote? No,” Balint said.