House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shot down repeated attempts by members of her own party to move forward on an impeachment inquiry against President Trump on Monday.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., insisted on impeachment during a Democratic Steering and Policy Committee meeting, but Pelosi was unmoved.
“This is not about politics, it’s about what’s best for the American people,” Pelosi said, a member at the meeting told Politico.
During a separate meeting in Pelosi’s office Monday, Democrats David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Joe Neguse of Colorado made another case to launch impeachment proceedings.
Pelosi, along with Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, again dismissed the suggestion, warning that talk of impeachment is getting in the way of advancing Democrats’ message.
If former White House counsel Don McGahn fails to adhere to a subpoena to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Cicilline said the House may have no other options. “I think if this pattern by the president continues, where he’s going to impede and prevent and undermine our ability to gather evidence to do our job, we’re going to be left with no choice,” Cicilline said.
The Trump administration has instructed McGahn to not appear before the panel to testify about special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, setting up a second contempt vote in Congress.
