SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) filed a "resolution of inquiry" that calls on federal agencies to share material from investigations into President Donald Trump's impeachable conflicts of interest. (Photo: AP)
Step One to Impeachment? Congressman's Probe Targets Trump's Conflicts of Interest
"Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) filed a 'resolution of inquiry' that amounts to the first legislative step toward impeachment"
Feb 09, 2017
New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler has made use of an obscure legislative tool that would force a floor debate on President Donald Trump's potentially unconstitutional conflicts of interest--a move widely seen as an initial step toward impeaching Trump.
Nadler, a Democrat, on Thursday "filed a 'resolution of inquiry' that amounts to the first legislative step toward impeachment," wrote co-founder of RootsAction.org Norman Solomon in an op-ed for Common Dreams.
A resolution of inquiry is "a relatively obscure parliamentary tactic used to force presidents and executive-branch agencies to share records with Congress. Under House practice, such a resolution must be debated and acted upon in committee or else it can be discharged to the House floor for consideration," explains the Washington Post.
The resolution (pdf) filed by Nadler specifically calls on the Department of Justice to provide "copies of any document, record, memo, correspondence, or other communication of the Department of Justice" related to any "criminal or counterintelligence" investigation into Trump, his White House, and his campaign.
The Post reports that it also asks for documents pertaining to "any investment made by a foreign power or agent thereof in Trump's businesses; Trump's plans to distance himself from his business empire; and any Trump-related examination of federal conflict of interest laws or the emoluments clause of the Constitution."
Nadler explained to the Post that the resolution will force Republicans "to vote, in effect, on whether or not to abdicate their responsibility to have oversight."
While there is already a grassroots movement to impeach Trump--and support for impeachment is soaring, as a petition to impeach that has already garnered 800,0000 signatures shows--Democratic members of Congress have appeared reluctant to address impeachment. Bold moves such as Nadler's resolution of inquiry may force them to take action.
In fact, supporters of Nadler's resolution are urged to call their representatives to demand they vote in favor it.
"Nadler has just put a big toe in the impeachment water," as Solomon writes. "Yet no members of the House have taken the plunge to introduce an actual resolution for impeachment. They will have to be pushed."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler has made use of an obscure legislative tool that would force a floor debate on President Donald Trump's potentially unconstitutional conflicts of interest--a move widely seen as an initial step toward impeaching Trump.
Nadler, a Democrat, on Thursday "filed a 'resolution of inquiry' that amounts to the first legislative step toward impeachment," wrote co-founder of RootsAction.org Norman Solomon in an op-ed for Common Dreams.
A resolution of inquiry is "a relatively obscure parliamentary tactic used to force presidents and executive-branch agencies to share records with Congress. Under House practice, such a resolution must be debated and acted upon in committee or else it can be discharged to the House floor for consideration," explains the Washington Post.
The resolution (pdf) filed by Nadler specifically calls on the Department of Justice to provide "copies of any document, record, memo, correspondence, or other communication of the Department of Justice" related to any "criminal or counterintelligence" investigation into Trump, his White House, and his campaign.
The Post reports that it also asks for documents pertaining to "any investment made by a foreign power or agent thereof in Trump's businesses; Trump's plans to distance himself from his business empire; and any Trump-related examination of federal conflict of interest laws or the emoluments clause of the Constitution."
Nadler explained to the Post that the resolution will force Republicans "to vote, in effect, on whether or not to abdicate their responsibility to have oversight."
While there is already a grassroots movement to impeach Trump--and support for impeachment is soaring, as a petition to impeach that has already garnered 800,0000 signatures shows--Democratic members of Congress have appeared reluctant to address impeachment. Bold moves such as Nadler's resolution of inquiry may force them to take action.
In fact, supporters of Nadler's resolution are urged to call their representatives to demand they vote in favor it.
"Nadler has just put a big toe in the impeachment water," as Solomon writes. "Yet no members of the House have taken the plunge to introduce an actual resolution for impeachment. They will have to be pushed."
New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler has made use of an obscure legislative tool that would force a floor debate on President Donald Trump's potentially unconstitutional conflicts of interest--a move widely seen as an initial step toward impeaching Trump.
Nadler, a Democrat, on Thursday "filed a 'resolution of inquiry' that amounts to the first legislative step toward impeachment," wrote co-founder of RootsAction.org Norman Solomon in an op-ed for Common Dreams.
A resolution of inquiry is "a relatively obscure parliamentary tactic used to force presidents and executive-branch agencies to share records with Congress. Under House practice, such a resolution must be debated and acted upon in committee or else it can be discharged to the House floor for consideration," explains the Washington Post.
The resolution (pdf) filed by Nadler specifically calls on the Department of Justice to provide "copies of any document, record, memo, correspondence, or other communication of the Department of Justice" related to any "criminal or counterintelligence" investigation into Trump, his White House, and his campaign.
The Post reports that it also asks for documents pertaining to "any investment made by a foreign power or agent thereof in Trump's businesses; Trump's plans to distance himself from his business empire; and any Trump-related examination of federal conflict of interest laws or the emoluments clause of the Constitution."
Nadler explained to the Post that the resolution will force Republicans "to vote, in effect, on whether or not to abdicate their responsibility to have oversight."
While there is already a grassroots movement to impeach Trump--and support for impeachment is soaring, as a petition to impeach that has already garnered 800,0000 signatures shows--Democratic members of Congress have appeared reluctant to address impeachment. Bold moves such as Nadler's resolution of inquiry may force them to take action.
In fact, supporters of Nadler's resolution are urged to call their representatives to demand they vote in favor it.
"Nadler has just put a big toe in the impeachment water," as Solomon writes. "Yet no members of the House have taken the plunge to introduce an actual resolution for impeachment. They will have to be pushed."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.