US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi has announced that the US House of Representatives will officially proceed with legislation for the second impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump if his cabinet fails to remove him from office under the 25th amendment.
“In protecting our constitution and our democracy, we will act with urgency, because this president represents an imminent threat to both,” the House speaker said.
“The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this president is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.”
Mrs Pelosi said the House will first try to get Mr Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence and his cabinet to oust him using the 25th amendment with legislation.
If that fails — which is considered the most likely outcome — she said that the House would move ahead with impeachment proceedings, although she did not say when that would be.
If passed by the House, the impeachment articles would be taken to the Senate for a trial, with senators acting as jurors who would ultimately vote on whether to acquit or convict Mr Trump.
A number of Republicans would have to join the Democrats in voting to impeach him, which requires a two-thirds majority.
This however seems likely as the Democrat momentum to impeach the president for a second time has already gained senior Republican support.
High-ranking Republican Senator for Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey said he believes the president committed “impeachable offences” by inciting the violence that led to the Capitol riots that left five people dead.
He joined his fellow Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in demanding the president’s resignation.
In addition, California Congressman Ted Lieu has revealed that there are now 200 co-sponsors for the impeachment legislation that the Democrats plan to introduce to the house.
“All of us, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will prefer that Donald Trump simply do the right thing and resign, or that Vice President Mike Pence actually shows some spine, at least for himself and his own family and invoke the 25th amendment,” he said.
“There will be Republicans who do vote for it,” he also insisted, adding that he is in talks with some Republicans to co-sponsor the resolution.
However, while the Democrats are aiming to swiftly proceed with impeachment, they are planning to delay the trial until after President-elect Joe Biden had had time to focus on other priorities after inauguration.
“Let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running,” Representative Jim Clyburn said.
Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell has also intimated there is not enough time for an impeachment trial ahead of Mr Biden’s inauguration.
An impeachment would stop Mr Trump from ever running for the presidency again.
Meanwhile, authorities are attempting to identify all those who stormed the US Capitol last week, with some off-duty police officers and fire-fighters thought to be among them.
Police departments in Virginia and Washington State have placed officers on leave, while they examine whether they took part in unlawful acts while away from work.
Fire departments in Florida and New York City have also reported to federal authorities allegations that some of their members may also have been present.
Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died when the protesters broke into the building as Congress met to certify the results of the presidential election.
