House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is still a hard “no” on impeachment.
Even though more than half of House Democrats have lined up in support of launching a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump, the California Democrat isn’t backing it.
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She told her Democratic caucus in a Friday conference call that the voting public doesn’t support impeaching the president and that is who she will listen to on the subject.
Pelosi also told House Democrats she wears a night guard in her mouth at night because she gnashes her teeth in her sleep “about what’s going on in the White House.”
Pelosi scheduled the call to discuss with fellow House Democrats how to spend the remaining weeks of the summer recess.
Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Sept. 9.
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey asked Pelosi how to respond to questions about impeachment from her 12th District constituents.
Pelosi responded as she has all year, telling Democrats they would be moving too quickly if they launched an impeachment inquiry.
“The public isn’t there on impeachment,” Pelosi told Watson Coleman. “It’s your voice and constituency, but give me the leverage I need to make sure that we’re ready and it is as strong as it can be. The equities we have to weigh are our responsibility to protect and defend the Constitution and to be unifying and not dividing. But if and when we act, people will know he gave us no choice. If he cannot respect the Constitution, we’ll have to deal with that. It’s about patriotism not partisanship.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler has tried to sell the idea that he has in effect already launched a formal impeachment “proceeding” by seeking documents and testimony court-related to the now-concluded Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between the Russians and the Trump 2016 campaign.
But only a full House vote can authorize an official impeachment inquiry in the Judiciary Committee.
Pelosi, in recent weeks, appears to endorse Nadler’s tactic but Democrats are clearly clamoring for more official action.
So far, 133 of the the 235 House Democrats have signed on to an impeachment inquiry and the House could approve one with a simple majority of about 218 votes.
But Pelosi urged lawmakers to instead focus on Nadler’s upcoming committee markup to advance new gun control legislation and on Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson’s work to address white supremacy and domestic terrorism.
She urged Democrats to focus on gun control and the House-passed legislation expanding background checks for firearm purchases, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has so far ignored due to lack of robust bipartisan support.
“We have to keep our foot on the gas on this issue,” Pelosi told lawmakers. “We must get McConnell to act. Cannot let it go away.”
