House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-CA) again rejected House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) calls for impeachment against President Trump, floating several other options instead, including “censure.”
McCarthy sent out a letter to House Republicans on Monday reiterating his stance against impeaching Trump over the Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol that disrupted Congress’s counting of electors and certification of the 2020 presidential election for President-elect Joe Biden. McCarthy floated several other options for denouncing the riots, including censure of unnamed actors.
McCarthy’s letter says in part:
Personally, I continue to believe that an impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together when we need to get American back on a path towards unity and civility. Notwithstanding the Speaker’s push towards impeachment, I have heard from members across our conference who have raised at least four potential avenues available to the House to ensure that the events of January 6 are rightfully denounced and prevented from occurring in the future. These include:
- A Resolution of Censure under the Rules of the House
- A Bipartisan Commission to Investigate the Circumstances Surrounding the Attack
- Reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887, and
- Legislation to Promote Voter Confidence
I thank the members who have researched and brought forth these concepts. I ask our conference to consider each on their merits and plan to discuss with all of you during our member meeting later today and ahead of votes in the House this week.
NEWS — @GOPLeader has sent out a letter the House Republicans saying he’s against impeachment.
But he floats censure, committee to study elections and the attack.
No mention of President Trump. pic.twitter.com/jBGFyzmiWa
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 11, 2021
On a private call later Wednesday, McCarthy said that Trump held some responsibility for the riot, according to Bloomberg.
House Democrats led by Pelosi are pushing to impeach and remove Trump from office despite there only being a little over a week left in his term. Democrats introduced a single article of impeachment against Trump on Monday, charging that the president “willfully made statements that encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — imminent lawless action at the Capitol. Incited by President Trump, a mob unlawfully breached the Capitol, injured law enforcement personnel, interfered with the Joint Session’s solemn constitutional duty to certify the election results, and engaged in violent, deadly, destructive, and seditious acts.”
At a rally prior to the Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol, Trump urged his supporters to march to the Capitol to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” He also made a number of allegations that the election was stolen through voter fraud. His legal team has not successfully proved any instances of widespread fraud that could have impacted the outcome of the election in court, despite dozens of lawsuits.
Trump has weathered severe backlash since Jan. 6, losing access to numerous social media accounts, including his personal Twitter account. A number of other companies such as Shopify, an online retail platform, have cut ties with online stores affiliated with the president.
Related: ‘Disgruntled Staffer’ Reportedly Posted Trump Resignation Time On State Dept Site