FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2019
Contact: Emily Phelps | press@indivisible.org
Washington, DC — Thanks to the groundswell of constituent pressure driven by a coalition of grassroots organizations, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Thursday to formalize an impeachment inquiry. Following the momentum gained during ‘Impeachment August,’ the groups are calling on all House Democrats to express explicit support of the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment inquiry and implore Chairman Nadler to increase the urgency with which his committee investigates Donald Trump’s criminal activity.
With a large majority of House Democrats in favor of an impeachment inquiry, the upcoming vote is an opportunity for the entire Democratic caucus—including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of leadership—to announce their support for impeachment proceedings.
The organizations are urging Chairman Nadler to begin an aggressive impeachment-related hearing schedule with key witnesses to ensure the American people see the evidence brought before Congress and to quickly draft and release articles of impeachment.
Over congressional recess, more than 30 lawmakers publicly announced their support for an inquiry—including key members like Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03) and Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14)—as they faced mounting pressure from their constituents and the coalition. Throughout ‘Impeachment August,’ the organizations pushed thousands of constituents to attend hundreds of town halls and public events, facilitated hundreds of visits to district offices, and drove tens of thousands of constituent calls to lawmakers.
Now, as Congress returns from recess, the groups will use these same tactics to ensure that every lawmaker supports the House Judiciary Committee’s formal inquiry.
“The grassroots actions during ‘Impeachment August’ delivered a clear message in congressional districts across the country: it's time to impeach this president,” said Ezra Levin, the Co-Executive Director of Indivisible.
"It doesn’t take ‘political bravery’ to be for impeachment," said MoveOn Civic Action Executive Director Anna Galland. “What takes bravery is running for Congress and taking an oath to defend the Constitution. What we need now isn’t bravery, it’s the integrity to keep that oath. The House Democrats who spent August recess telling their constituents that they support Chairman Nadler now need to say it clearly: they’re for an impeachment inquiry, and hopefully ready to vote for impeachment.”
“Need To Impeach, along with over 10 million Americans in our movement and other partners have been fighting for this moment for almost two years now,” said Nathaly Arriola, Executive Director of Need to Impeach. “The decision by Chairman Nadler and the House Judiciary Committee to move forward with the initial steps of a formal impeachment inquiry marks a pivotal moment in the historic fight to hold Donald Trump accountable. We will continue to fight. For too long, Donald Trump has been engaging in criminal behavior with impunity, damaging the office of the presidency and harming American democracy and national security. It’s time for members of Congress to uphold their oath of office and impeach Donald Trump.”
“In town halls, in phone calls to Congress, and visits to lawmakers, Americans across the country are speaking up and demanding accountability for Donald Trump, and this week the House Judiciary Committee is listening and taking historic action," said Stand Up America Founder and President Sean Eldridge. "This fight is far from over. We now need every lawmaker in Congress—including Democratic leadership—to stand up and throw their support behind this formal impeachment inquiry and act swiftly to hold Trump accountable for his crimes and corruption.”
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