House races to impeach Trump; he blames accusers for U.S. ‘anger’
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House pressed forward Tuesday toward impeaching President Donald Trump for the deadly Capitol attack, taking time only to try to persuade his vice president to push him out first. Trump showed no remorse, blaming impeachment itself for the “tremendous anger” in America.
Already scheduled to leave office next week, Trump is on the verge of becoming the only president in history to be twice impeached. His incendiary rhetoric at a rally ahead of the Capitol uprising is now in the impeachment charge against him, even as the falsehoods he spread about election fraud are still being championed by some Republicans.
The House convened Tuesday night to vote on urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove Trump with a Cabinet vote. But shortly before that, Pence said he would not do so in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
He said that it would not be in the best interest of the nation or consistent with the Constitution and that it was “time to unite our country as we prepare to inaugurate President-elect Joe
Biden.“
Meanwhile three Republicans, including third-ranking House GOP leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming, announced they would vote to impeach Trump, cleaving the party’s leadership.
“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” said Cheney in a statement. “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”
Reps. John Katko of New York, a former federal prosecutor, and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, an Iraq War veteran, said they too would vote to impeach.
During a House rules debate, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland pleaded for a change of heart by other Republicans. “All of us have to do some soul searching,” he said.
As lawmakers reconvened at the Capitol for the first time since the bloody siege, they were also bracing for more violence ahead of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Jan. 20.
Trump, meanwhile, warned the lawmakers off impeachment and suggested it was the drive to oust him that was dividing the country.
“To continue on this path, I think it’s causing tremendous danger to our country, and it’s causing tremendous anger,“Trump said.
In his first remarks to reporters since last week’s violence, the outgoing president offered no condolences for those dead or injured, only saying, “I want no violence.”
Impeachment ahead, the House was first pressing Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to remove Trump more quickly and surely, warning he is a threat to democracy in the few remaining days of his presidency.
The House was expected to approve a resolution calling on Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to declare the president unable to serve. Pence, who had a “good meeting” with Trump on Monday, their first since the vice president was among those sheltering from the attack, was not expected to take any such action.
After that, the House would move swiftly to impeachment on Wednesday.
Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — in the impeachment resolution after the most serious and deadly domestic incursion at the Capitol in the nation’s history.
During an emotional debate ahead of the House action, Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., urged her Republican colleagues to understand the stakes, recounting a phone call from her son as she fled during the siege.
“Sweetie, I’m OK,” she told him. “I’m running for my life.”
But Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a top Trump ally just honored this week at the White House, refused to concede that Biden won the election outright.
Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., tied such talk to the Capitol attack, interjecting, “People came here because they believed the lie.”
A handful of other House Republicans could vote to impeach, but in the narrowly divided Senate there are not expected to be the two-thirds votes to convict him, though some Republicans say it’s time for Trump to resign.
The unprecedented events, with just over a week remaining in Trump’s term, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has warned ominously of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of Biden’s inauguration and Capitol Police warned lawmakers to be on alert. The inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.
Metal detectors were being installed at the entrance to the House chamber not far from where Capitol police, guns drawn, had barricaded the door against the rioters.
More than 100 members of the Connecticut National Guard will be deployed to Washington to “aid and facilitate the peaceful transition of presidential power,” Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said Tuesday.
The deployments were requested by federal National Guard officials.
Personnel sent to D.C. include members of the Connecticut guard’s Military Police “as well as two patrol explosive-detection dog teams.”
Besides a Military Police unit and military working dog teams (also considered MPs), the guard is deploying civil support team members for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear surveillance, according to Capt. Dave Pytlik, a public information officer for the Connecticut National Guard.
“The state of Connecticut stands ready to help ensure the peaceful transition of power and protect our democracy,” Lamont said in a written statement. “May God bless our brave men and women in uniform, and the United States of America.”
Nichelle Mullins, one of the allocation subcommittee’s cochairs, said the group was concerned that the CDC guidelines would not include at-risk people who only have one condition. She cited people with Down syndrome and people with organ transplants as two examples.
“I understand that the population size is increasing, but I trust the Department of Public Health to come up with a fair, phased, roll-in approach that will address all of the concerns that the committee has mentioned,” Mullins said.
Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary said he has received messages from people advocating for those with Down syndrome as well as those who are immune-compromised due to an organ transplant.
“Both of those groups have a high morbidity rate, and again we’re talking under 3,000 of those The Connecticut Air National siege. Many lawmakers may individuals,” he said.
Guard has also alerted C-130H choose to vote by proxy rather The panel’s latest recommendamilitary cargo plane crews, which than come to Washington, a protion significantly broadens the can ferry troops and supplies cess that was put in place last year number of people expected to be “throughout the country if needto limit the health risks of travel. vaccinated in the next phase. ed,” the governor’s office said. Even Republicans who have Connecticut officials have
The Air Guard’s 103rd Airlift resisted the proxy system are now urged patience, saying they want Wing operates C-130’s out of Bradcleared to use it by House Repubto avoid the long lines of people ley Air Force Base in Windsor lican leader Kevin McCarthy. waiting to receive the shot seen in Locks. Among Trump’s closest allies in other states.
Lamont’s office said the deployCongress, McCarthy was among “Again, let me just reiterate, ments and activation of the guard those echoing the president, saying please be patient,” Lamont said units “will not impact the state’s “impeachment at this time would Monday during his press briefing. ongoing efforts to contain and have the opposite effect of bringing “I think you’ve seen the pictures combat the COVID-19 virus.” our country together.” from Florida and other places —
The final days of Trump’s presiDemocrats say they have the ‘first come, first served, everydency will be like none other as votes for impeachment. The imbody over 55 come and join’ — Democrats, and a small number of peachment bill from Reps. David that’s not the way it’s gonna work, Republicans try to expel him after Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu and there are more dissatisfied he incited the mob that violently of California, Raskin of Maryland people in those states that have ransacked the Capitol last Wednesand Jerrold Nadler of New York done it that way.” day. draws from Trump’s own false The CDC originally called for
A Capitol police officer died statements about his election defeat those 75 and older to be vaccinatfrom injuries suffered in the riot, to Biden. ed in the next wave, which also and police shot a woman during Judges across the country, inincluded front-line essential the violence. Three other people cluding some nominated by workers like first responders, died in what authorities said were Trump, have repeatedly dismissed school staff, child care workers, medical emergencies. cases challenging the election regrocery store employees and
In the Senate, Republican Pat sults, and former Attorney General correctional staff.
Toomey of Pennsylvania joined William Barr, a Trump ally, has Last week, Connecticut’s adGOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alassaid there was no sign of widevisory panel added residents of ka over the weekend in calling for spread fraud. congregate settings — including Trump to “go away as soon as The impeachment legislation prison inmates — to the list, and possible.” also details Trump’s pressure on expanded the list of essential
No member of the Cabinet has state officials in Georgia to “find” workers. publicly called for Trump to be him more votes, as well as his The panel’s Tuesday meeting removed from office through the White House rally ahead of the was originally billed as a way to 25th Amendment. Capitol siege, in which he encouradd a slim population to the next
Biden has said it’s important to aged thousands of supporters last wave of vaccine distribution inensure that the “folks who engaged Wednesday to “fight like hell” and tended to address concerns about in sedition and threatening the march to the building. some people having limited aclives, defacing public property, The mob overpowered police, cess. caused great damage -- that they be broke through security lines and In a two-hour meeting last held accountable.” windows and rampaged through week, members failed to reach a
Fending off concerns that an the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to consensus on how to ensure the impeachment trial would bog scatter as they were finalizing vaccine went to younger people down Biden’s first days in office, Biden’s victory over Trump in the with underlying medical condithe president-elect is encouraging Electoral College. tions and communities of color senators to divide their time beWhile some have questioned that have been hard hit by the tween taking taking up his prioriimpeaching the president so close pandemic. ties of confirming his nominees to the end of his term, there is But Tuesday’s recommendaand approving COVID relief while precedent. In 1876, during the Ulystions would add 720,000 Conalso conducting the trial. ses Grant administration, War necticut residents to the next
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Secretary William Belknap was round of vaccinations, according Schumer suggested in a letter to impeached by the House the day to Marwan Haddad, a member colleagues Tuesday the chamber he resigned, and the Senate conof the panel and medical direcwould do both. vened a trial months later. He was tor for Community Health Cen
As Congress resumed, an uneaser.acquitted.t iness swept the halls. More lawThe governor’s office anmakers tested positive for COnounced people 75 and older who VID-19 after sheltering during the are not residents of long-term care facilities can start registering to get vaccinated this week, with the first appointments set to begin Monday.
That will mark the start of Phase 1B in Connecticut.
The state is vaccinating those who are part of Phase 1A populations, which include residents and staff of long-term care facilities like nursing homes, frontline medical staff and certain first responders.
State Rep. Harry Arora said Tuesday he believes it’s the right move to vaccinate those 75 and older next.
But he also advocated for vaccinating those with serious medical conditions at the same time, before moving to those ages 60 and older. Essential workers should then follow sometime in the spring, he argued.
The Greenwich Republican last month called for seniors to be first vaccinated against the disease in an op-ed.
Arora said the other challenge is explaining to his constituents how to register to receive the vaccine, particularly for those over age 75.
“A lot of the questions I’m getting are ‘how?’” he said Tuesday. He suggested the process for getting a vaccine appo intment should be outlined on a simple document officials can post on their websites, or doctors offices should assist patients in registering for a vaccine appo intment.
“That community, that age group — we need to start communicating now,” he said.