Hawley and Cruz deserve to be held accountable, but they are back-benchers.
What Kevin McCarthy did was just as bad, but he is Minority Leader. Every House Republican voted to make him Speaker, and when he led his caucus into an attack on our democracy two thirds followed him.
Kevin McCarthy embraced and empowered the worst conspiracy theorists in his caucus. He spread the very lies that helped incite this violence. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Trump in trying to destroy our democracy. He always enables Trump's worst and most destructive acts.
After terrorists shed blood in our Capitol, Kevin McCarthy went to the House Floor and led the renewed attack on our democracy. He echoed Trump's incendiary lies and dehumanizing attacks on political opponents, and now claims to oppose "division?" No.
Kevin McCarthy must resign.
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You plainly spread false conspiracy theories for political expediency to divert blame. You and your colleagues bellowed lies in the place where terrorists inspired by an endless stream of lies and conspiracy theories tried to overthrow our national government. It's contemptible.
Let's get something straight, ok? The terrorists, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists who attacked the Capitol, assaulted police officers, put up a noose, stole and looted, wrote "murder the media" on our doors, and planted bombs – they came here directly from a Trump rally.
The thousands who attempted the violent overthrow of the American government were not "antifa," they were MAGA.
They were incited and inspired by the lies and conspiracy theories of Donald Trump and given waives and shout-outs from Members of Congress who called them "patriots."
I continue to support his impeachment and removal from office, and am looking carefully at new articles of impeachment being drafted and offered by my colleagues.
Impeachment, however, would require the cooperation of Senate Republicans who have always protected Trump in the past.
The 25th Amendment can only be invoked by the Vice President with the concurrence of the Cabinet.
Congress must ensure Trump’s removal from office by the swiftest and surest method available: confirmation of the American people’s will as expressed in the 2020 election.
I look forward to completing the certification of that election as soon as possible.
The recording released yesterday establishes beyond a doubt that Donald Trump used the power of his office to threaten election officials, and to coerce them into committing criminal acts to overturn the election results.
This clearly warrants a criminal investigation.
1/4
Trump has held numerous meetings and calls with election officials and lawmakers in other states where he has attempted to negate election results.
Those conversations should be examined by investigators to determine whether Trump engaged in additional criminal acts.
2/4
Trump has not acted alone in his attempts to overturn the election.
Investigators should also scrutinize the actions of WH Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Senator Lindsey Graham, and any others who may have been party to criminal acts intended to change election results.
3/4
The “slush fund” to which he refers is a Fed program that helps prevent states and localities from going bankrupt and having to lay off police, teachers, and firefighters — and one of the loudest voices highlighting the need to help states is the (Republican) Governor of Arkansas
These Senators are trying to use the suffering of the American people to force budgets cuts on states, cities, and towns in the middle of a pandemic that they are on the front lines of.
They are holding the whole bill up over this, and lying about it.
This is an extremely important story that isn't getting the attention it deserves.
After GSA initiated the presidential transition, I warned that there would still be new Trump sabotage to come. This is exactly what I was concerned about.
Presidents appoint leaders of federal agencies, for instance Cabinet secretaries and their staffs, but most civil servants are career federal employees, a professional staff that provide continuity no matter which party is in power. Congress passed laws to create this system. 2/
It wasn't always this way. There was a time when an incoming president handed out government jobs to loyalists and supporters after taking office, and the civil service constantly turned over with administrations. That was terrible for the country. 3/