House

House Dem pledges impeachment vote after Trump’s ‘sh–hole countries’ remark

by Cristina Marcos - 01/12/18 10:48 AM ET

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said Friday that he will force another House floor vote on impeachment, following reports that President Trump expressed a preference for more immigrants from places like Norway over “shithole countries” like Haiti, El Salvador and African nations.

Green, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), previously forced a procedural floor vote on his articles of impeachment against Trump last month. A total of 58 Democrats, including Green, voted in support of impeachment, even though the overall effort failed.

“Congressional condemnation of racist bigotry is not enough. In Congress, talk is cheap-it’s how we vote that counts. Next week, I will again bring a resolution to impeach @realDonaldTrump. I will put my vote where my mouth is,” Green tweeted.

Green pledged after last month’s impeachment vote that he would make his colleagues go on the record again, but didn’t specify when.

The Washington Post first reported Thursday that Trump objected to allowing people from impoverished places like Haiti, El Salvador and African nations come to the U.S., saying, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

The White House initially did not dispute Trump’s remarks. But on Friday morning, Trump denied specific language used during the Oval Office meeting with members of Congress.

“The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!” Trump tweeted, referring to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for certain young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a top Trump critic and fellow CBC member, reiterated her support for impeachment in a lengthy statement on Friday blasting Trump’s comments. She voted in favor of Green’s articles of impeachment last month.

“Donald Trump is an embarrassment and a national disgrace. Members of Congress have a responsibility to the American people and our democracy to impeach him,” Waters said.

Green’s articles of impeachment, which failed to advance last month, argued that Trump is “fueling an alt-right hate machine” that’s “causing immediate injury to American society.” The articles further state that Trump has “brought disrepute, contempt, ridicule and disgrace on the presidency” and “sown discord among the people of the United States.”

As examples, the articles of impeachment cite Trump’s equivocating response to the violence between white supremacists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Va., last August; retweets of anti-Muslim videos posted by a fringe British nationalist group; criticisms of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem to protest policy brutality; disparate treatment of hurricane victims in Puerto Rico compared to those in mainland states; and personal attacks on Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), a fellow CBC member, after she criticized the president’s remarks to the family of a fallen solider.

Under House rules, any member can offer a “privileged” resolution on the floor and ensure legislative action within two days. Even if Republicans again move to table the resolution, Green can still secure a procedural vote effectively serving as a referendum on impeachment.

House Democratic leaders do not support impeachment at this point, citing the ongoing investigations by congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller into whether the Trump campaign worked with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Both Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) voted with Republicans to table Green’s resolution last month.

“Now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment,” Pelosi and Hoyer said at the time.

A second vote on impeachment would pose yet another headache for House Democratic leaders next week, who are already under pressure from their left flank in bipartisan immigration talks.

Current government funding runs out next Friday, and congressional leaders don’t yet have a clear strategy for avoiding a shutdown. Many Democrats have pledged not to support any spending bill unless Congress has a deal to shield young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.

The Trump administration is phasing out DACA, which gave those young immigrants temporary work permits, by March 5. Republicans are pushing border security measures and new limits on legal immigration in exchange for allowing DACA recipients to stay in the U.S.

All Republicans present voted against Green’s articles of impeachment last month, as did 126 Democrats.

The 58 Democrats who supported Green’s effort were primarily from the most liberal wing of the party, along with fellow CBC members and a handful of lawmakers who hadn’t previously been vocal about impeachment.

Green is the only Democrat who has sought a vote on impeachment, although others have also introduced articles of impeachment.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) filed an article of impeachment in July alleging that Trump obstructed justice by firing James Comey as FBI director amid the investigation into Russia’s election interference.

A group of six Democrats, including Green, further introduced articles of impeachment in November accusing Trump of obstructing justice by ousting Comey, violating the foreign emoluments clause barring public officials from receiving gifts from foreign governments without the consent of Congress, and undermining the courts and the media.

Updated: 2:38 p.m.