By Illinois Radio Network/Greg Bishop
SPRINGFIELD – A central Illinois congressman now in the minority in the U.S. House of Representatives is guaranteeing Democrats move to impeach President Donald Trump, a move he says will bring the nation’s capital to a halt.
Democrats took over the U.S. House on a wave of anti-Trump sentiment in November.
Now back as House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California was asked on the Today Show about possible impeachment of the president.
“Well, we have to wait and see what happens with the Mueller report,” Pelosi said, referencing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia prior to the 2016 election.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said he expects impeachment proceedings regardless, and that will be a disservice to the American people.
“Everything comes to a stop in Washington when impeachment proceedings begin,” Davis said. “I certainly hope that Democrats have a little more foresight than what I’m anticipating right now.”
It’s unclear what would be the impetus for impeachment. Mueller hasn’t filed any report against the president, but has gone after various members of the president’s inner circle for things that are not connected to alleged Russian collusion to sway the election or obstruction of justice in firing FBI Director James Comey.
Trump has called Mueller’s probe a witch hunt led by people upset at the outcome of the 2016 election.
Regardless, there has been a lot of talk from Democratic circles about impeachment.
“They’ll have no choice,” Davis said. “The far left of the Democratic Party funded many Democratic victories and they expect the president to be impeached.”
“We shouldn’t be impeaching for a political reason and we shouldn’t be avoiding impeachment for a political reason,” Pelosi said.
Davis said impeachment proceedings will bring Washington to a halt, stifling progress on any other issues like infrastructure, student loan debt, or other things important to the American people.
The impeachment process starts in the U.S. House, where a measure would act as an indictment. If passed there, the Senate would then hold a trial. The U.S. Constitution says “no person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two-thirds of the Members present.”
Democrats control the House, Republicans the Senate.
