Trump impeachment calls increase in private Dem House Judiciary Committee meetings: report

While Democratic leadership is hesitant to go forward with filing articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, Politico reports that younger Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are lobbying in private to start them now.

According to the report Committee chair Rep. Jerry Nadler (R-NY) wants to move slow, going through all the motions and legal remedies available to the committee before taking the big step.

"A growing number of Democratic committee members are pushing Nadler to take more aggressive steps to force President Donald Trump and top administration officials to comply with a host of congressional subpoenas," the report states. "Some lawmakers even want Congress to dust off its little-used authority to fine or even jail witnesses, something that the House hasn't done in more than 80 years and is ill prepared to execute."

"[Trump] certainly is the best argument for impeachment there is. This is the most impeachable president in the history of the United States of America. But that still leaves us a whole bunch of questions about what to do and when to do it," explained Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) , who sits on both the Judiciary and Oversight panels.

According to the report, Raskin's view of impeachment is being pressed by newer members of the Judiciary Committee who are impatient to get proceedings started.

There is a "growing push for a more aggressive posture is being driven by the committee's younger members, many of whom are new to the skirmishes and polarizing fights that have long divided the Judiciary panel," Politico reports."The Judiciary Committee has long been one of the most partisan in Congress because leadership tends to steer vulnerable — and typically more moderate — members away from the committee. That leaves the panel stacked with members less willing to compromise or shy away from a battle with the president of either party."

"Nothing is off the table. It can't be off the table. We have to look at all of the options to do our job and protect the Constitution and to make sure the government is functioning the way it should be," said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA).

For the moment, the more cautious Democratic members are holding sway, but that could change.

"We’re restraining ourselves from doing 'Donald Trump Justice.' 'Donald Trump justice' is you just reach a conclusion and then let the facts catch up. We’re trying to show a contrast to that which is orderly process, which is frustrating in that it doesn’t happen as fast as you want," Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) explained. "We’ve got one shot to get it right, you've got one record to create for the courts. You want to show you gave them every chance to comply. It’s frustrating, but that’s law and order."

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