A group of seven first-term House Democrats on Monday penned a joint op-ed urging Congress to use all of its powers to determine whether new allegations regarding President Trump’s interactions with the leader of Ukraine are true.
The lawmakers, who hail from competitive swing districts and who have experience in national security, wrote in The Washington Post that Trump should be impeached if allegations that he withheld military aid to Ukraine as part of an attempt to get the country to investigate the son of 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden are true.
{mosads}”If these allegations are true, we believe these actions represent an impeachable offense. We do not arrive at this conclusion lightly, and we call on our colleagues in Congress to consider the use of all congressional authorities available to us, including the power of ‘inherent contempt‘ and impeachment hearings, to address these new allegations, find the truth and protect our national security,” the congressman write.
The op-ed was authored by Democratic Reps. Gil Cisneros (Calif.), Jason Crow (Colo.) Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Elaine Luria (Va.), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Abigail Spanberger (Va.).
Trump is facing mounting scrutiny over reports that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July phone call to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
The call occurred around the same time the Trump administration moved to freeze $250 million in military aid to Ukraine, raising speculation from some lawmakers about whether the president used the aid as leverage in the talks. The president earlier this month released the aid after lawmakers raised concerns.
“He allegedly sought to use the very security assistance dollars appropriated by Congress to create stability in the world, to help root out corruption and to protect our national security interests, for his own personal gain,” the lawmakers wrote. “These allegations are stunning, both in the national security threat they pose and the potential corruption they represent.”
The congressional Democrats decried Trump’s actions as a “flagrant disregard for the law,” adding that they “cannot stand.”
Trump on Monday denied discussing military aid with Zelensky during his talks with the Ukrainian leader, telling reporters at the United Nations General Assembly that he “did not make a statement that you have to do this or I’m not going to give you aid.”
The latest allegations against Trump have led to renewed calls from many Democrats to launch impeachment proceedings against the president. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday that impeachment “may be the only remedy” if the reports that Trump pressured Ukraine for info on a political opponent are true.
Freshman Minnesota Reps. Dean Phillips (D) and Angie Craig (D), both of whom defeated Republican incumbents last year, on Monday raised calls for impeachment following reports of Trump’s talks with Ukraine.