U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi said Democrats are prepared to move forward with impeachment next week if President Donald Trump doesn't resign, as momentum quickly built among House Democrats furious with Trump to hold an impeachment vote. This is reported by CNN.
Following a Democratic caucus call earlier in the afternoon, Pelosi said in a statement that the House would "preserve every option," including legislation to establish a commission under the 25th Amendment that could recommend Trump's removal, in addition to impeachment. Final decisions on whether to impeach have not yet been made, Democratic sources said.
"It is the hope of Members that the President will immediately resign. But if he does not, I have instructed the Rules Committee to be prepared to move forward with Congressman Jamie Raskin's 25th Amendment legislation and a motion for impeachment," Pelosi said. "Accordingly, the House will preserve every option - including the 25th Amendment, a motion to impeach or a privileged resolution for impeachment."
House Democrats plan to introduce their impeachment resolution when the House next comes into session. The latest draft of the impeachment resolution includes one article of impeachment for "incitement of insurrection." The House Rules Committee is expected to meet Monday or Tuesday to approve a rule that would govern floor debate for an impeachment resolution and Raskin's bill to create a new mechanism to invoke the 25th Amendment.
Under that timeline, an impeachment vote is possible by the middle of next week.
