The U.S. House voted Tuesday to shelve an impeachment attempt against President Donald Trump, who was accused of abuse of power after launching military strikes against Iran without consulting Congress.
The sudden action brought by Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green sparked little debate and divided the party itself. In fact, most Dems joined the Republican majority in shelving the measure. Only 79 Dems supported Green’s proposal, while 344 opposed it.
“I take no delight in what I’m doing,” Green said ahead of the vote. “I do this because no one person should have the power to take over 300 million people to war without consulting with the Congress of the United States of America. I do this because I understand that the Constitution is going to be meaningful or it’s going to be meaningless.”
This attempt, while not the first sign of a move to impeach Trump since he began his second term in the White House in January, demonstrates the unease many Democrats feel about the federal administration, particularly after the sudden attack on Iranian nuclear sites, viewed by many as a risky incursion into Middle East affairs.
For his part, on Tuesday morning Trump lashed out in harsh terms at another Democrat, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for insinuating that his military action against Iran was an impeachable offense.
The House Dem. leadership was careful not to criticize Green directly, but also made it clear that its focus was on other issues. “At this time, at this moment, we are focusing on what this big, ugly bill is going to do,” explained Pete Aguilar, chairman of the House Democratic caucus, referring to Trump’s proposed tax relief package being passed in Congress, “I think anything outside of that is a distraction”.
Trump was impeached twice by House Dems during his first term, in 2019 for withholding funds intended for Ukraine while facing military aggression from Russia, and in 2021, for inciting the Jan. 6 assault on Capitol Hill by supporters who were seeking to prevent Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. In both impeachment cases, the Senate later acquitted the MAGA leader.
