Democratic leaders quelled calls for a rare censure vote against President Trump, pushing instead for a resolution condemning his recent tweets about four minority freshmen congresswomen.
In a closed-door meeting Tuesday with lawmakers, Speaker Nancy Pelosi argued the resolution, not a censure vote, would be harder for Republicans to vote against and thus a far more attractive legislative vehicle to go after the president.
“This is, I hope, one where we will get Republican support,” the California congresswoman told Democrats, according to a source in the room. “If they can’t support condemning the words of the president, well, that’s a message in and of itself.”
Democratic leaders are fighting against House progressives who want stiffer punishment of the president, including censure and impeachment, in response to tweets and remarks aimed at the progressives over their criticism of his plans to deport illegal immigrants.
Trump in a Sunday tweet called for New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar, and Massachusetts’ Ayanna Pressley to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done.”
Texas congressman Al Green said he’ll introduce articles of impeachment against the president and attempt to force a vote in the coming weeks.
Tennessee congressman Steve Cohen, a staunch Trump foe, introduced a censure resolution against the president Monday.
Democratic leaders aren’t interested in taking up either the impeachment or censure measures, however.
They have been eager to avoid tying up floor time with serious punishment of the president, who is popular in key swing districts. Instead, Democrats have worked to go after Trump in ways that allow them to move forward with their legislative agenda, which this week includes a vote on lifting the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The House floor resolution condemning Trump’s tweet is scheduled for a vote Tuesday evening.
Cohen told reporters Tuesday he plans to vote for the resolution but is still hoping for a future vote to censure Trump.
He has 17 co-sponsors so far and is frustrated the leadership doesn’t support it.
“I don’t set the agenda,” Cohen said. “They think condemnation is the better route. It made no sense.”
Censure is an extremely rare and serious congressional punishment.
The House has censured only 23 lawmakers and one president, Andrew Jackson in 1834 (later expunged).
A censure resolution reprimands the individual while the resolution the House will vote on Tuesday will condemn only Trump’s tweets and not the president personally.
Lawmakers debated the two measures in the closed-door meeting this morning, New Jersey congressman Bill Pascrell said.
“Some people feel strongly that censure is a tougher response, and I would agree with that,” he said. “But I am going to support the condemnation. It sends a very, very clear message.”
