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Progressive Groups Release Draft Articles of Impeachment to Capture 'Smorgasbord' of Trump Abuses
"Trump's offenses related to Ukraine are not an aberration—they are the latest examples of him subverting our democracy to advance his own interests."
Nov 12, 2019
As the House Intelligence Committee Monday kicked off the first public hearing in its impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, a coalition of progressive groups released draft articles of impeachment they say better capture Trump's "smorgasbord of impeachable offenses."
"Trump's offenses related to Ukraine are not an aberration--they are the latest examples of him subverting our democracy to advance his own interests," said Alexandra Flores-Quilty, executive director of By the People. "If we don't address the full magnitude of criminality, bigotry, and corruption, Trump's abuses of power will become the new normal."
The misconduct at the center of the impeachment inquiry is Trump's alleged use of a quid pro quo by pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to carry out a politically beneficial investigation into the Biden family or see its military aid withheld. A better approach, according to the organizations' "Impeachment for the People," is for lawmakers to carry out an inquiry far broader in scope.
The preamble of the new 24-page document (pdf)--drafted by Free Speech For People and backed by groups including By the People, CREDO Action, and Women's March-- states, "We, the people, deserve an impeachment and removal process that covers the full range of Trump's abuses of power."
The articles fall under six categories:
- Abuse of power to target political adversaries, critics, and the press;
- Corruption of electoral processes;
- Abuse of office to promote discrimination, hostility, and unlawful violence;
- Corruption and self-enrichment;
- Obstruction of the administration of justice and Congressional inquiries;
- and Misuse of armed forces and abuse of emergency powers.
The categories capture alleged offenses including Trump misusing "his official position to promote discrimination, hostility, or unlawful violence on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin"; accepting emoluments from foreign, federal, and state governments; and abusing "emergency powers to build a border wall against Congressional opposition."
The seventh and final point--"omnibus"--is meant to ensure a successful outcome. "The value of an omnibus or 'catch-all' article (most recently used by Congress in 1989) was famously demonstrated in the 1936 impeachment trial of Judge Halstead Ritter, when the Senate failed to assemble a two-thirds majority to convict on any particular article alleging specific misconduct, but reached two-thirds to convict on the omnibus article."
It is only through such a broad scope of inquiry, the groups say, that an impeachment process can
- Defend our democracy and bring us closer to ensuring that its promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness be made real for every person who calls the United States home--no matter their race, gender, sexuality, religion, country of origin, or class;
- Establish that we are a country where all are equal before the law, and set a precedent for what is acceptable by all those who serve in our nation's highest office;
- Protect us, our families, and our communities from this administration's attacks; and
- Deliver a government that fiercely and bravely represents the people, rather than serves political parties or the powerful.
Free Speech For People board chair Ben Clements, in a statement, welcomed the inquiry House Democrats are currently carrying out, noting that the impeachment hearing concerns "Trump's efforts to bribe and extort Ukraine using hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to leverage foreign assistance in his reelection bid."
"But," he continued, "this brazenly lawless action was the direct result of Congressional failure to hold Trump accountable for the smorgasbord of impeachable offenses he committed to secure the 2016 election and on a daily basis throughout his presidency. Trump's lawless and abusive self-dealing, obstruction, racism, bigotry, incitement to violence, and subversion of the Constitution is well documented and well suited for expedited proceedings in the House."
"If Congress is serious about defending the Constitution and our democracy and restoring the rule of law now and for future presidents," Clements said, "it must address these egregious and dangerous impeachable offenses and it must move efficiently and urgently toward a vote on comprehensive articles of impeachment."
According to Flores-Quilty, lawmakers agreeing to the "Impeachment for the People" would provide "a first step toward achieving a democracy that works for all of us."
"Now, our elected representatives must make a choice," she said, "will they fulfill their constitutional duty by impeaching for the people or will they betray the country by protecting a dangerous and lawless president?"
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As Impeach Trump Momentum Builds, Grassroots Groups Target Undecided Members of Congress
"Every member—Democrat and Republican—needs to remember the oath they took to protect the Constitution, and speak out publicly in favor of a vote to impeach Trump."
Sep 25, 2019
After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally caved to pressure from a growing cohort of Democratic lawmakers and formally launched an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump Tuesday evening, grassroots groups on Wednesday announced new efforts to urge undecided members of Congress to back "impeachment now!"
"We urge every member of Congress to support a public, transparent, and robust inquiry into several of Donald Trump's potentially illegal acts as soon as possible."
--Rahna Epting, MoveOn
At 1 pm on Thursday, "activists backed by 19 progressive groups and House Democrats championing impeachment will gather outside the Capitol to demand that every member of Congress support an immediate impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, and that the House Judiciary committee subsequently move toward a public, unhindered inquiry that moves quickly to a floor vote on Articles of Impeachment," the advocacy organization MoveOn said in a statement.
"Thursday's event is a visible display of the alignment we're seeing between grassroots progressives and the over 200 House members who support moving toward impeachment inquiries," said MoveOn's incoming executive director, Rahna Epting. "It's becoming increasingly clear that Trump has and continues to repeatedly violate the oath and obligations of the office of the president of the United States."
"For the sake of the integrity of our democracy, the question of whether Trump has committed impeachable offenses cannot go unanswered any longer," added Epting. "We urge every member of Congress to support a public, transparent, and robust inquiry into several of Donald Trump's potentially illegal acts as soon as possible."
The rally is also backed by the groups By the People, Center for American Progress Action Fund, CREDO Action, Courage Campaign, Daily Kos, Demand Justice, Democracy for America, End Citizens United Action Fund, Free Speech For People, Hispanic Federation, Indivisible, Kremlin Annex, March For Truth, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, People, For the American Way, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Progressive Democrats Of America, Public Citizen, and Stand Up America.
As of press time 214 House Democrats and Republican-turned-Independent Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) had expressed support for an impeachment inquiry, according to The New York Times, which is tracking the position of every member of the lower chamber. That number has soared in recent days amid ongoing concerns about a phone call in July between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and on Wednesday morning released a memo of his conversation with Zelensky, which critics called a "smoking gun." Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), argued in an op-ed published Wednesday by The New York Times that the memo "is far worse than we could have imagined" and demonstrates that Trump "sought multiple favors from a foreign leader for his personal political gain and in doing so violated his solemn oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution."
Some supporters of impeaching Trump have called on congressional Democrats to not merely focus on Trump's legally dubious conversation with Zelensky. Peter Certo, editorial manager of the Institute for Policy Studies and editor of OtherWords, wrote Wednesday, "If Democrats feel they need the Ukraine story as a legal hook to start the process, that's one thing--but I hope they won't forget to make a political case against these much more egregious abuses along the way."
As Certo noted:
There's been any number of earlier abuses--from the merely venal (like altering a hurricane forecast with a sharpie) to the unapologetically corrupt (like putting military officers in Trump hotels and charging taxpayers for vacations at his own properties).
I also recall there was something about Russia, a fired FBI director, and--oh right--that time he called Nazis who'd just beaten people and killed someone in Charlottesville "very fine people."
Certo also highlighted Trump "taking buckets of fossil fuel money" while "destroying the planet," caging thousands of migrant children and "continuing to separate them from their parents after a court ordered him to stop," targeting progressive Democratic lawmakers on Twitter with "incendiary racist slanders," and "encouraging a foreign leader, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to block those members of Congress from an official visit to the top U.S. aid recipient."
Grassroots groups that are organizing in favor of impeaching Trump are also highlighting the president's broader record. Trump's conversation with Zelensky "confirms what we already know: Trump abused his authority, violated the law, and tried repeatedly to obstruct justice. Donald Trump is a criminal and these activities are impeachable offenses," according to the Impeach Now, a joint project of many groups behind Thursday's rally.
Noting that the House still plans to go on a two-week recess and lawmakers are set to return to their home districts next week, Impeach Now is urging constituents on its website to "show up on the phones, at offices, and at town halls and make sure every member of Congress hears our message that they need to go back to Washington and take a vote to impeach Trump."
A coalition of 15 organizations led by Stand Up America and By the People sent a letter Wednesday to Pelosi and House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler demanding that they cancel the upcoming recess and "immediately get to work impeaching this lawless president."
"The House has a constitutional duty to protect our democracy by holding a corrupt president accountable--and this is not the time for our elected representatives to go home," the letter says. "In place of this recess, we urge you to begin an aggressive hearing schedule, swiftly draft articles of impeachment, and vote to impeach Trump this fall."
Sean Eldridge, founder and president of Stand Up America, declared in a statement that "the president of the United States is a clear and present danger to our democracy."
"Every day Trump is in office is another day he betrays his country and undermines our democracy for his personal gain," said Alexandra Flores-Quilty, executive director of By the People, a campaign to impeach Trump. "Our movement successfully pressured the House of Representatives to advance impeachment proceedings. Now, House leadership must cancel their recess, do their job, and vote to #ImpeachNow."
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Even as Nadler Intensifies Trump Probes, Progressives Call on Pelosi to Stop 'Putting the Brakes on Impeachment'
"It's beyond time for the House to do more than small-bore resolutions to give them cover," said CREDO Action on Monday.
Sep 09, 2019
Grassroots social change advocates on Monday urged House Democrats to use every tool at their disposal to pursue articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump as soon as possible, as House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler announced his committee was planning to hold hearings related to its investigation into Trump.
The New York Democrat announced his committee would hold a hearing on September 17 with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who the president reportedly twice directed to ask former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit the Mueller probe. The committee also subpoenaed former Trump aides Rick Dearborn and Rob Porter.
The hearing represents a "small, concrete step toward impeachment" and holding Trump accountable for alleged obstruction of justice, said the grassroots group CREDO Action, which has helped collect more than 10 million signatures from people who believe the president should be impeached for a number of offenses.
"We urge Chairman Nadler to keep pushing forward, and vote articles of impeachment out of committee by October 1st. We can't wait any longer while Trump continues to abuse the presidency to enrich himself, obstruct justice and enact hateful policies that target millions of Americans."
--Thais Marques, CREDO Action"But without Chairman Nadler setting a date for a vote on articles of impeachment," said CREDO Action campaign manager Thais Marques in a statement, "it's clear that Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leadership are still putting the brakes on impeachment. It's beyond time for the House to do more than small-bore resolutions to give them cover."
The House Judiciary Committee's statement reads that the panel "will consider procedures on Thursday for future hearings related to its investigation to determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment," and will vote on the procedures, but Marques called on Nadler to commit more fully to taking decisive action against the president.
"We urge Chairman Nadler to keep pushing forward, and vote articles of impeachment out of committee by October 1st," Marques said. "We can't wait any longer while Trump continues to abuse the presidency to enrich himself, obstruct justice, and enact hateful policies that target millions of Americans."
The procedures the committee will be considering include that evidence can be received by the committee in closed executive sessions to protect confidentiality and that the president's counsel may respond in writing to evidence and testimony presented to the Judiciary Committee.
Nadler noted in his statement that Trump stands credibly accused of abusing his power in a number of ways that have nothing to do with the Mueller investigation into the president's 2016 campaign.
"The president is in violation of the emoluments clauses of the Constitution as he works to enrich himself, putting the safety and security of our nation at risk," the chairman said. "He has dangled pardons, been involved in campaign finance violations, and stonewalled Congress across the board, noting that he will defy all subpoenas."
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, also said Monday the panel was expanding its inquiry to include Trump's dealings with Deutsche Bank and questions about whether the president engaged in money laundering and other activities that could have left him vulnerable to foreign influence.
"We are expanding the investigation outwards from the Mueller report to what I think every American can understand intuitively--the president has treated the office as an extended get-rich-quick scheme," Raskin told The Washington Post.
The national organization Need To Impeach applauded the committee for its expansion of the inquiry, which "could bolster an already overwhelmingly strong case for impeachment."
The group also noted on Twitter that during Congress's August recess, grassroots demonstrators helped gain the support of more than a dozen Democrats who joined the majority of their colleagues in the House in backing impeachment proceedings against Trump.
"In the past few weeks, we've seen more and more representatives publicly come out in favor of impeachment. This did not happen on its own. It happened because members of all our grassroots organizations came out and demanded action," Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, said late last month, as the group's Impeachment August public action was underway. "Now, House leadership must listen to the people and take real, concrete steps toward impeachment."
"Only through impeachment," he added, "can we make it clear that Trump is not above the law."
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'She Is Failing Us': Demanding Trump Impeachment, Progressives Disrupt Pelosi 'Resistance' Award Ceremony
"Trump is selling the government to the highest bidder and migrant children are dying in detention—on her watch."
Aug 22, 2019
Demanding that the nation's most powerful Democrat use her position to impede President Donald Trump's vicious anti-immigrant agenda and push for impeachment, progressive activists on Wednesday disrupted a "Heart of the Resistance" event honoring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a lifetime achievement award.
As dozens rallied outside, four activists with Credo Action entered the InterContinental San Francisco Hotel, the site of the $250-per-ticket dinner, and interrupted the award ceremony, calling on Pelosi to heed the demands of the grassroots and a growing number of House Democrats by backing impeachment.
"Speaker Pelosi, I am undocumented. My community is being targeted by ICE and killed by white supremacists. Fight for my community and impeach Trump now," said Credo Action campaign manager Thais Marques. "We can't wait. Impeach Trump."
In an email to supporters late Wednesday, Credo Action said many Democrats in attendance "shouted Marques down while Speaker Pelosi herself talked over Marques rather than listening to and engaging with her."
The activists were eventually removed from the event by San Francisco police.
"The time to act is now--we can't wait on impeachment any longer," said Marques following the event. "Pelosi's refusal to hear me speaks volumes about the limits of today's Democratic Party, which congratulates itself on hating Trump but is unwilling to act to rein him in."
In addition to demanding that Pelosi back impeachment proceedings, which a majority of House Democrats now support, activists also condemned the Speaker's decision in June to approve a $4.6 billion Republican border funding package that included virtually no safeguards for immigrant children detained by the Trump administration.
Demonstrators outside the hotel held signs that read, "On Your Watch--$4.59 Billion for Concentration Camps, $5 Billion for Border Wall Funding, 2,167 Children Separated, 24 Migrant Deaths."
"Speaker Pelosi is letting Trump get away with deporting and oppressing our people and stripping away our rights," said immigrant rights organization Movimiento Cosecha, which took part in Wednesday's demonstration. "Just today, he announced plans to detain kids indefinitely. She must use her power to impeach Trump now."
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Indigenous and Green Groups Fighting Against Pipeline Urge 2020 Democrats to Take 'NoKXL Pledge'
"You either stand with family farmers, ranchers, Tribal Nations, and environmentalists—or you stand with fossil fuel corporations."
Aug 13, 2019
Indigenous, environmental, and landowner groups fighting to block the Keystone XL pipeline sent a letter Tuesday to the two dozen 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidates, urging them to take the "NoKXL pledge" and vow--if elected--to revoke the Trump administration's permit for the tar sands oil project.
"There is no middle ground when it comes to protecting the land, water, and climate," Bold Nebraska founder Jane Kleeb said in a statement. "You either stand with family farmers, ranchers, Tribal Nations, and environmentalists--or you stand with fossil fuel corporations who are abusing eminent domain, and trampling on the treaty rights of Tribal Nations."
"Tribal Nations and communities are battling for the survival of our ecosystems and ways of life, and we need a president who will stand with us against Big Oil and the fossil fuel regime," said Dallas Goldtooth, a Keep It in the Ground campaigner for the Indigenous Environmental Network. "Signing the NOKXL pledge is a solid step in the right direction."
The three-point NoKXL pledge, featured on Bold Nebraska's website, states:
- If elected, I pledge to take executive action on Day One to stop any construction on the Keystone XL pipeline--no matter what--and revoke the existing presidential permits issued unilaterally by President Trump for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, sending both projects back to relevant federal agencies to undergo legitimate environmental review and Tribal consultations.
- I pledge to direct all federal agencies (State Dept., FERC, Army Corps) to submit these two projects, as well as all new pipeline and energy infrastructure projects to a true climate test, and reject permits for any project that would exacerbate our climate crisis.
- I pledge to protect the property rights of farmers and ranchers from eminent domain abuse, and to honor the treaties the U.S. government has signed with sovereign Tribal Nations.
Natalie Mebane, associate director of U.S. Policy at 350 Action, called the pledge "a critical step in moving towards stopping all new fossil fuel projects and protecting communities already experiencing the devastation of fossil fuel disasters."
"To build systems that work for all of us, we must keep fossil fuels in the ground, prioritize Indigenous rights, workers, and frontline communities, and hold fossil fuel billionaires accountable for their destruction," Mebane added. "Together we've stopped the Keystone XL pipeline for over a decade. It's time all presidential candidates join us and commit to stopping KXL once and for all."
"Our next president needs to listen to the science that says we can't build new fossil fuel projects and fight climate change at the same time, not the polluters who say we don't have a choice."
--Charlie Jiang, Greenpeace USA
If constructed, the long-delayed pipeline would carry up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil daily more than 1,000 miles from the Alberta tar sands, across Montana and South Dakota, to Nebraska. In a move that critics decried as a "ridiculous attempt" to skirt the law to benefit a fossil fuel company, President Donald Trump issued an "unprecedented and unilateral" executive memorandum in March, granting TransCanada--now known as TC Energy--a permit for the project.
"Our next president needs to listen to the science that says we can't build new fossil fuel projects and fight climate change at the same time, not the polluters who say we don't have a choice," Greenpeace USA climate campaigner Charlie Jiang said Tuesday. "Reversing Trump's misguided Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline authorizations on day one sends a clear message to the fossil fuel executives that their days of power over the White House are over."
Other groups co-sponsoring the pledge are the Bold Alliance, Nebraska Easement Action Team, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, Sunrise Movement, CREDO, Oil Change U.S., Friends of the Earth Action, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Climate Hawks Vote, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Progressive Democrats of America, NYC Grassroots Alliance, Earth Action, Bucks Environmental Network, Greenbelt Climate Action Network, Anthropocene Alliance, New York Climate Action Group, Coalition Against the Rockaway Pipeline, and Coalition Against the Pilgrim Pipeline.
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'Acosta Enables Sex Trafficking' Projected Onto Department of Labor Building as Resignation Demands Grow
"Acosta must step down as Labor Secretary immediately. His actions make clear he would rather protect a billionaire pedophile and sex offender than stand up for innocent children."
Jul 11, 2019
Hours after Labor Secretary Alex Acosta held a press conference defending his decision in 2008 to offer what critics described as a "sweetheart" plea deal to billionaire Jeffrey Epstein--who was charged this week with sex trafficking--a coalition of progressive advocacy groups Wednesday night projected messages onto the Department of Labor building condemning Acosta as an enabler of sexual predation and urging him to resign.
"Acosta endangers women and girls," "Acosta enables child sex trafficking," and "Acosta must go" read the projections, which were planned by the American Federation of Teachers, CREDO Action, MoveOn, and UltraViolet.
Heidi Hess, co-director of CREDO Action, said in a statement that Acosta "must step down as Labor Secretary immediately."
"His actions," Hess said, "make clear he would rather protect a billionaire pedophile and sex offender than stand up for innocent children."
Hess went on to urge the House Democratic majority to launch an investigation into Acosta and President Donald Trump's relationship with Epstein.
As Common Dreams reported Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sparked outrage by saying it is "up to the president" to probe Acosta.
" House Democrats should... use all power at their disposal to hold Acosta accountable and investigate Donald Trump's involvement with Jeffrey Epstein," said Hess.
Shauna Thomas, executive director of UltraViolet, echoed Hess's demand, calling on Congress to "open a full investigation into why child sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein was protected over the survivors of his abuse."
"That means investigating every single enabler of Epstein's abuse, from Labor Secretary Alex Acosta to President Donald Trump, and every celebrity and business mogul in between, and includes starting impeachment proceedings into Acosta, who broke the law to hand a serial pedophile a sweetheart deal."
"The American people cannot afford a president and Labor Secretary who would rather shield wealthy sexual abusers from prosecution than protect sexually trafficked children," said Thomas.
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'This Is an Emergency. We Need the Democrats to Act Like It': Outrage as DNC Announces It Will Not Host 2020 Debate on Climate Crisis
"The DNC is silencing the voices of Democratic activists, many of our progressive partner organizations, and nearly half of the Democratic presidential field, who want to debate the existential crisis of our time."
Jun 06, 2019
Sparking a torrent of backlash from Democratic White House contenders, environmental organizations, and youth climate leaders, the Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday that it will not host a climate-specific presidential primary debate and will punish candidates who attend a debate hosted by any other organization.
"This move is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of activists and all of the candidates calling on the DNC to hold a dedicated climate debate."
--Brandy Doyle, Credo Action
News of the DNC's decision was made public by 2020 presidential candidate and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who was the first Democratic contender to call for a debate focused solely on the climate crisis.
"Today, my team received a call from the Democratic National Committee letting us know that they will not host a climate debate," Inslee said in a statement. "Further, they explained that if we participated in anyone else's climate debate, we will not be invited to future debates. This is deeply disappointing."
Inslee said he will pressure the DNC leadership to change its mind, arguing that the climate emergency "merits a full discussion of our plans" rather than the "short exchange of talking points" typical of past presidential debates.
"The DNC is silencing the voices of Democratic activists, many of our progressive partner organizations, and nearly half of the Democratic presidential field, who want to debate the existential crisis of our time," Inslee said. "The next president must make defeating this crisis the top priority of the nation. And I will continue to do everything I humanly can to ensure the climate crisis is at the top of the national agenda."
Environmental groups that have led the grassroots push for a climate-focused debate echoed Inslee's outrage, which helped make the Twitter hashtag #ClimateDebate a trending topic in the United States.
U.S. Youth Climate Strike, whose petition calling on the DNC to host a climate debate has garnered over 53,000 signatures, vowed to "fight back" against the committee's refusal to give the planetary crisis the national spotlight it deserves.
"Disappointed to learn DNC will not honor the rallying cries of their own base, and will not only not host a climate debate, but will also ban any candidate who participates in one from participating in DNC debates," the group tweeted. "Again and again, the establishment and adults have failed us. We need policy now."
"This is an outrage. Almost every major candidate has supported the call for a climate debate, but the DNC won't even let the American people hear their plans for one of the greatest challenges of our time."
-- Sunrise Movement
Brandy Doyle, campaign manager for Credo Action, said in a statement Wednesday that the decision shows DNC chairman "Tom Perez doesn't seem to care much about the climate crisis."
"[B]ut many of the Democratic candidates and a vast majority of Democratic primary voters do," Doyle said. "This move is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of activists and all of the candidates calling on the DNC to hold a dedicated climate debate."
"It isn't too late for Tom Perez and other leaders at the DNC to come to their senses," Doyle added. "They'll find out soon enough that it is going to take a lot more than a quiet phone call to one campaign to silence the growing demands for a climate debate."
In what appeared to be an attempt to quell the backlash coming his way, Perez posted a series of tweets just after midnight assuring enraged presidential candidates and climate campaigners that he has "personally told media partners seeking to host a 2020 primary debate how important it is for climate change to be debated during each and every debate."
"The DNC will not be holding entire debates on a single issue area--we want to make sure voters have the ability to hear from candidates on all the issues," said Perez. "You have my word that I will do everything I can to make sure our candidates are able to debate all of the critical issues during this primary."
Grassroots activists who have been working tirelessly to push serious climate discussion into the national political conversation have good reason to be skeptical of Perez's insistence that the DNC's corporate media partners will give the climate crisis the necessary amount of focus.
In a report published in April, Public Citizen found that corporate media networks have systematically failed to devote sufficient time to the climate crisis, which activists argue should--given the existential threat it poses--dominate the headlines on a daily basis.
The youth-led Sunrise Movement, which is planning a massive action outside of the second DNC debate in Detroit next month, urged all 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to "speak out against" the DNC's "disastrous decision" and pressure the committee to reverse course.
"This is an outrage. Almost every major candidate has supported the call for a climate debate, but the DNC won't even let the American people hear their plans for one of the greatest challenges of our time," Sunrise tweeted. "This is an emergency. We need the Democrats to act like it."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) quickly heeded Sunrise's call, tweeting late Wednesday that "Gov. Inslee is exactly right."
"Climate change is the biggest challenge we face," Warren wrote. "Every candidate running for president should have a serious set of policies to address it, and should be eager to defend those proposals in a debate."
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To Hold 'Lawless President' to Account, Nearly 30 Groups Urge Pelosi to Start Trump Impeachment Inquiry Now
"Our families, friends, communities, country, and planet deserve a party that chooses people over politics—and that starts with your willingness to take bold, moral leadership."
Jun 04, 2019
Warning that President Donald Trump poses a greater threat to vulnerable communities, the rule of law, and the planet with every day he remains in office, more than two dozen progressive groups on Tuesday urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to ditch the "political excuses" and immediately begin impeachment proceedings.
"The American people deserve a leader who is willing to bravely use power to rein in the Trump administration and defend our communities."
--Letter
"Voters gave Democrats control of the House of Representatives because they wanted aggressive oversight of the Trump administration," wrote CREDO, Indivisible, and 27 other groups in a letter to Pelosi.
"Yet," the letter states, "your leadership is resulting in dangerous inaction that enables this racist and xenophobic president."
The groups expressed "deep disappointment and concern" about Pelosi's refusal to listen to the public and members of her own leadership team on the necessity of launching impeachment hearings.
Citing ongoing efforts by the White House to block congressional oversight as well as Trump's possible obstruction of justice, the groups wrote that waiting to take decisive action against the president "is a privilege."
"But it is not a privilege available to the families separated by his deportation force or his Muslim ban, the asylum seekers languishing in Mexico, the people threatened by his embrace of white supremacy, the LGBTQ people whose rights he is taking away, the women whose bodies he is trying to control or the communities threatened by his denial of the climate crisis," the letter states.
"The American people deserve a leader who is willing to bravely use power to rein in the Trump administration and defend our communities," the letter continues. "You have stated that we are facing a constitutional crisis. But the remedy for such a constitutional crisis is not traditional congressional oversight--particularly when confronted with a president who has nothing but contempt for such oversight."
The progressive coalition's letter comes less than a week after Mueller delivered public remarks on his findings that many Democratic members of Congress interpreted as a clear "impeachment referral."
But, following Mueller's statement, Pelosi continues to voice opposition to impeachment hearings despite growing calls from Democratic members of Congress and the U.S. public. Instead, Pelosi has vowed to continue investigating the president--an approach progressives decried as "embarrassingly weak" and "out of touch."
Pelosi reiterated her position during a private leadership meeting on Monday, according to CNN.
During her speech before the California Democratic Party Convention Saturday, Pelosi was interrupted by "impeach" chants from her home crowd, yet another indication of growing support for impeachment among the Democratic base.
In their letter on Tuesday, the progressive groups said Pelosi still has "a chance to turn things around" by throwing her support behind impeachment proceedings.
"In the very near future, the Trump era will be one that evokes the question--what did you do?" the groups wrote. "We urge you to use your power to lead and to stop asking us to wait."
Read the full letter:
We write to express deep disappointment and concern over your refusal to use the full scope of your constitutional power to hold Trump accountable. We urge you to reconsider your position on this issue and immediately open an impeachment inquiry.
Voters gave Democrats control of the House of Representatives because they wanted aggressive oversight of the Trump administration. Yet, your leadership is resulting in dangerous inaction that enables this racist and xenophobic president. Our families, friends, communities, country and planet deserve a party that chooses people over politics--and that starts with your willingness to take bold, moral leadership.
As Speaker of the House, you have the power to ensure Congress exercises its constitutional obligation to hold this president accountable, but instead of using your power, you are giving us political excuses for why you shouldn't. Instead of leading, you and your colleagues have asked us to wait--wait for the Mueller report, wait for the unredacted Mueller report, wait for Mueller's testimony about the Mueller report, wait for more investigations, wait for bipartisan consensus,wait for impeachment to poll better, wait for the 2020 election.
With 10 distinct episodes of obstruction of justice already clear from the Mueller report, violations of the emoluments clause happening on an almost daily basis, and Trump's administration now defying subpoenas for both documents and testimony, waiting is a privilege. But it is not a privilege available to the families separated by his deportation force or his Muslim ban, the asylum seekers languishing in Mexico, the people threatened by his embrace of white supremacy, the LGBTQ people whose rights he is taking away, the women whose bodies he is trying to control or the communities threatened by his denial of the climate crisis.
The American people deserve a leader who is willing to bravely use power to rein in the Trump administration and defend our communities. You have stated that we are facing a constitutional crisis. But the remedy for such a constitutional crisis is not traditional congressional oversight--particularly when confronted with a president who has nothing but contempt for such oversight and obstinately refuses to comply with legitimate congressional demands and requests. The framers placed the impeachment power in the Constitution precisely for the purpose of confronting a lawless president like Donald Trump.
There's still a chance to turn things around. You are a powerful leader who has stood up for women's rights, cleared a path for other women to get to Congress, and brought us the ACA. Your strong leadership can help move the public narrative, not only on impeachment, but on the dangers Trump's presidency poses for all Americans. Your leadership can position the House of Representatives as the body that exposes the corruption and moral abhorrence of the Trump White House, proves that no president is above the law, and persuades most Americans that this president must be removed from office. You can help expose his defenders and enablers, including those in the Senate, as craven partisans willing to destroy our democracy and defend a criminal president in order to protect tax breaks for their billionaire benefactors and stack the federal courts to defend their white, male privilege.
In the very near future, the Trump era will be one that evokes the question--what did you do? We urge you to use your power to lead and to stop asking us to wait.
Sincerely,
CREDO
Free Speech for People
Movimiento Cosecha
Alameda4Impeachment
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As Mueller Delivers 'Impeachment Referral' to Congress, Calls for House Democrats to Act Grow Louder
"It's far past time for Congress to step up to its role as a co-equal branch of government and hold Trump accountable for his crimes."
May 29, 2019
On Wednesday, Special Counsel Robert Mueller closed the investigation he was tasked to lead in 2017, announcing the end of the process, and his career, to the public in a 9 minute statement that put the onus for the next step--impeachment--on the House.
Mueller and his team never considered charging the president with a crime, he told reporters, because of DOJ guidelines that state the president cannot be indicted.
As the special counsel pointed out, that leaves the responsibility for holding the president accountable on Congress, the governmental body that has the power to begin impeachment proceedings.
"The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing," said Mueller.
In remarks to the public at the Department of Justice, Mueller said that his investigation found that the Russian military's intelligence operation to disrupt the U.S. election in 2016 worked, but that the Russians and the campaign of then-candidate, and now-president, Donald Trump, did not conspire together.
The president's behavior toward the investigation was less cut and dry. As in the report, Mueller said on Wednesday that his office was less definitive on whether the president committed obstruction.
"Charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider," said Mueller.
The special counsel also made clear that his report should not then be seen as an exoneration of the president.
"If we had had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime," Mueller said, "we would have said so."
Impeachment has been a tough sell for House Democratic leadership. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), as Common Dreams reported earlier in May, has repeatedly expressed hesitation over beginning the process. No Republicans, save Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), have publicly stated their support for hearings.
Wednesday's statement from Mueller may test that level of resistance from Democrats, especially since Mueller is refusing to speak beyond what he's already written in the report if called before Congress.
Political scientist Jeffrey Isaac, in a column for Common Dreams, pointed out that Mueller may not want to testify, but that decision isn't his to make.
"He might not want to testify. He might truly believe that the report is his testimony," wrote Isaac. "But that is not for him to decide."
In a tweet, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is also running for her party's nomination for president, said that Mueller's statement was effectively a call to action.
"It is an impeachment referral, and it's up to Congress to act," said Warren. "They should."
That language was echoed by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), one of Warren's rivals in the 2020 race.
"We need to start impeachment proceedings," Harris said in a tweet. "It's our constitutional obligation."
In a statement, CREDO Action co-director Heidi Hess said that Mueller was "practically begging Congress to move forward with impeachment proceedings."
"In a room full of reporters, he explicitly conceded that there wasn't enough evidence to exonerate Donald Trump, a sitting president, on the possible crime of obstruction of justice," said Hess. "In any other year, that kind of earth-shattering finding would be immediate grounds for at least the beginning of an impeachment inquiry, and it's far past time for Congress to step up to its role as a co-equal branch of government and hold Trump accountable for his crimes."
Some House Democrats were signaling their intention to possibly back impeachment proceedings by midday Wednesday.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the head of the House Judiciary Committee, tip-toed right up to the line of calling for impeachment in a statement to NBC News.
"Given that Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump--and we will do so," said Nadler.
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With Democrats Clamoring for Trump Impeachment After Mueller Statement, Pelosi's Response Denounced as 'Embarrassingly Weak'
"The ball is in Speaker Pelosi's court now, and continuing to delay and make excuses isn't an option."
May 29, 2019
Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Wednesday made public remarks that numerous Democratic members of Congress interpreted as a clear "impeachment referral," but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sparked anger from progressives by responding with a statement that did not even hint at impeachment.
"Nancy Pelosi and House leadership are out of touch with their own party."
--Zach Carter, HuffPost
"The special counsel's report revealed that the president's campaign welcomed Russian interference in the election, and laid out eleven instances of the president's obstruction of the investigation," Pelosi said. "The Congress will continue to investigate and legislate to protect our elections and secure our democracy."
Critics were quick to slam Pelosi's statement as "tone deaf" and "embarrassingly weak" compared to the responses of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Pelosi leadership team member Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), and other Democrats who demanded impeachment hearings against the president as soon as possible.
"Nancy Pelosi and House leadership are out of touch with their own party," tweeted HuffPost reporter Zach Carter.
This criticism of Pelosi was expressed across social media following Mueller's statement on his two-year investigation into President Donald Trump:
As Common Dreams reported last week, Pelosi has been facing pressure from members of the House Judiciary Committee and her leadership team to sign off on impeachment hearings.
But Pelosi has thus far resisted the growing internal revolt, even while agreeing that Trump's lawlessness and corrupt behavior has sparked a "constitutional crisis."
Richard Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California-Irvine School of Law, wrote in a column for Slate Wednesday that Mueller's statement--which explicitly did not exonerate the president of criminal behavior--"clearly appeared aimed at one person: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi."
"Mueller's simple message to Pelosi is that it is the constitutional duty of Congress--and her sworn duty as speaker of the House--to begin an investigation of the president and seriously consider impeaching him," Hasen wrote. "Sure that's a political risk for Democrats, but so is doing nothing. More importantly, it's the right thing to do as a matter of constitutional responsibility."
Pelosi either didn't get the special counsel's message or is refusing to act on it. In an appearance at the Commonwealth Club of California hours after Mueller's statement, Pelosi continued to indicate that she is not willing to back impeachment proceedings:
In a statement, CREDO Action co-director Heidi Hess said Pelosi cannot continue to drag her feet as support for impeachment surges within her own party and at the grassroots.
"Mueller has done his job; now, it's up to Congress to take his findings and use them to hold the president and those around him accountable," Hess said. "The ball is in Speaker Pelosi's court now, and continuing to delay and make excuses isn't an option."
Indivisible echoed this call in an email to supporters on Wednesday.
"Democrats in Congress may talk a big game about cover-ups and obstruction, but none of that makes any difference if they don't take action," said Indivisible. "There is no excuse for any member of Congress to stay silent any longer."
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