US Congressman Al Green, the representative of the Ninth Congressional District of Texas, has called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump today.
Today on the floor of the Congress of the United States of America, I will call for the Impeachment of the President between 9am & 10am CST.
— Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen) May 17, 2017
“No one is above the law and that includes the President of the United States of America,” said Green today in response to the controversial dismissal of FBI Director James Comey. “This offence has occurred before our very eyes. It is perspicuous. It is easy to understand. We are talking about a president who fired the FBI director who was investigating the president for his connections to Russian involvement in the president’s election.”
Green released the following statement:
A bedrock premise upon which respect for, and obedience to, our societal norms is “No one is above the law.”President Trump is not above the law. He has committed an impeachable act and must be charged. To do otherwise would cause some Americans to lose respect for, and obedience to, our societal norms.
President Trump has committed an act for which he should be charged by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The act is the obstruction of a lawful investigation of the President’s campaign ties to Russian influence in his 2016 Presidential Election.This charging, of the President, is known constitutionally as impeachment.Impeachment, of the President, by the House of Representatives is not a finding of guilt. The House of Representatives cannot find the President guilty of anything.
Only the U.S. Senate can do this after a trial.Here are the acts committed by the President that, when combined, merit his being charged (impeached) for obstructing a lawful investigation:·
The President fired the F.B.I. Director overseeing a lawful investigation of the President’s campaign ties to Russian influence in the President’s 2016 Election.· The President acknowledged he considered the investigation when he fired the F.B.I. Director.·
The President made the F.B.I. Director the subject of a threatening tweet – “James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press.” These acts, when combined, amount to intimidation and obstruction.
If the President is not above the law, he should be charged, by way of impeachment, by the U.S. House of Representatives. Whether he is guilty is a separate action for the U.S. Senate to decide. I have said on previous occasions, and do now say again, the President should be impeached. I also say that this can happen with a Republican-controlled House and Senate if the public weighs in by demanding that the Republican President be charged by way of impeachment.Our mantra should be “I. T. N. – Impeach Trump Now.”
Only two other United States Presidents have been impeached by the House of Representatives: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. President Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached.
According to United States law, “The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
The duty falls on the House of Representatives to call for an impeachment. Only after the House has voted on impeachment will the Senate begin a trial. The House needs a simple majority vote to begin impeachment proceedings while the Senate requires a 2/3 vote to convict and remove the President of the United States.