House Democrats united as Pelosi calls for ‘formal’ Trump impeachment probe

WASHINGTON — When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced to House Democrats in a closed meeting on Tuesday afternoon the launching of an “official” Trump impeachment inquiry, no one opposed the move.

“There was broad consensus,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., told reporters after the meeting. “I did not hear one word of dissent, and that’s the first (time) I recall that occurred in a discussion of the president.”

The next steps in the impeachment process are, as I write this Tuesday night, not yet entirely clear.

“Democratic leaders are meeting and coordinating how this goes forward as we speak,” Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told me.

You may be confused since House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N-Y., already is leading an impeachment inquiry, and chairs of five other committees with oversight responsibilities are running probes.

Don’t get bogged down in this because everything changed — for President Donald Trump — for House Democrats — for Joe Biden, the 2020 frontrunner — when, in the last week, the news broke that Trump allegedly pressured the Ukraine president to dish up dirt on Biden and may have used foreign aid funds as leverage.

Brace yourself for one of the darkest, most partisan chapters in U.S. history to unfold.

Until Tuesday, Trump may have shrugged off House Democrats’ impeachment probes because they did not seem to go anywhere. Stonewalling by the White House — denying Congress documents and witnesses — was working.

All the stuff in the Mueller report about Trump’s abuse of power, the various self-enrichment schemes of those in the Trump orbit, dealings with Russians — the grist of what the six Democratic-led panels have been investigating — didn’t have the juice to pull the Democratic House members together.

Pelosi was hanging back to protect moderate members from swing districts. The dam was cracked and clearly broke through Monday night when seven vulnerable freshmen, moderates with national security backgrounds — none from Illinois — wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that Trump most likely committed an impeachable offense when he allegedly tried to pressure Ukraine.

Other moderates were also moved by the new Ukraine allegations, including Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill. In August he was among those calling for an impeachment inquiry. On Tuesday morning, he said that it was time to jump ahead and file articles of impeachment.

Schneider told me what is different now is that Trump’s alleged offenses are rolling out in real time. “It’s not the past, it’s present. It’s not conjecture, it’s factual, from the president’s own mouth. It’s not a candidate, it’s the president of the United States.”

Illinois Democratic Reps. Quigley, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Bobby Rush and Danny Davis came out for at least an impeachment inquiry in May and early June.

Over the summer, almost all the nine other Illinois House Democrats said they were for at least an impeachment inquiry — Rep. Bill Foster got on board in August — except Reps. Dan Lipinski and Cheri Bustos.

With the Ukraine allegations, on Tuesday, Lipinski used the word impeachment for the first time, saying if Trump “conducted a quid pro quo such as this it would be an impeachable offense.”

Illinois Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth also Tuesday called for a formal impeachment inquiry.

The two most vulnerable House Democrats in Illinois, freshmen Reps. Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten, from suburban Chicago districts, this summer called for an impeachment inquiry. Casten last month discovered a pro-impeachment crowd showing up at his Downers Grove town hall on the subject.

“If these allegations are true, it’s absolutely an impeachable offense, but let me be clear it is not something to celebrate or take lightly,” Underwood said.

Adding to the urgency is the refusal of the Trump administration to turn over the report of the whistleblower who revealed Trump’s pressure on the Ukraine president. Trump has said he would release a call transcript.

Impeachment starts in the House. If the Democratic House approves articles of impeachment, the next step is a trial in the Senate, where the Republicans have enough votes to prevent a Trump conviction.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., part of Pelosi’s leadership team, called for an impeachment probe back in June, and on Tuesday, said that with the Ukraine allegations, Dems had to step up the fight. “It is clear that an official impeachment investigation is the only avenue we have left to hold this president accountable.”

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., earlier called for Trump’s impeachment. After faltering, Democrats have a another chance to make a case against Trump.

Said Kelly, “If it wasn’t this, it would probably be something else.”