On House floor, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon says she agrees with the calls for unity, but says lawmakers should "come forward in unity to defend the country," not defend an unfit president.
The first Republican speaker, Tom Cole of OK, agrees with the horror of the attack but disagrees with the 25th Amendment resolution, saying it is the Vice President's job, not the House. As he speaks, more Republicans are saying they favor impeachment, which is due Wednesday.
"Vice President Pence's judgment is sound," says Tom Cole. "I personally have strong faith in him."
Republican Debbie Lesko, AZ, insists that Democrats are "further dividing our nation" by pushing Pence to remove the president. She is one of the 147 House members who voted to object to the election last week.
"Lies misinformation and demagoguery have consequences," says Rep. Doris Matsui, supporting the president's removal.
GOP Rep. Lisa McClain of MI justifies the president's incitement by saying that other people have said extreme things. "Impeachment only incites more division."
"The veneer of civilization is paper thin," says Rep. Tom Suozzi, and describes seeing a man last Wednesday wearing a T-shirt saying "Camp Auschwitz Staff." Warns of future planned attacks.
"I do not know where this takes us," says Rep. Jim Jordan, "but it is scary." He is speaking of the provisions of the 25th amendment resolution.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, sponsor of the 25th amendment resolution, says rioters came to "desecrate the temple of democracy and spit in the face of Congress" and that "every person in this room could have died." Quotes Republicans on the severity of the attack.
GOP Rep. Tom McClintock is the first to directly defend the president's conduct. "I have read that speech," he says. "He never urged them to rampage." Says this is a "grotesque abuse" of the 25th amendment because Democrats dislike how Trump is doing his job.
McClintock further says that "intemperate speech" is not a sign of presidential disability and that by saying Trump can't do his job, the House is seeking to take on a new role as "armchair psychiatrists."
"The president called for this seditious attack," says Nancy Pelosi. Says Trump called upon people to "come to Washington for this insurrection." Now, she notes, he says "his incitement to violence was 'totally appropriate.'"
"I heard the previous speaker say that we don't like how the president is doing his job," says Pelosi. "No, we don't like it at all." She then lists a series of crimes.
Jamie Raskin, on extremists who attacked last week: "They are now calling for a return engagement." Protests called for in all 50 states, and DC. "What will the attitude be of the president of the United States?"
Rep. Dan Biship, R-NC, says of the resolution: Democrats "seek to bully the vice president" to invoke the 25th.
"It was an attempt to murder our Congress," says Democrat Steve Cohen of the attack. Says Republicans can "purge themselves of their own creation" by unseating the president.
Steve Chabot, R-OH: The people want to unite, and "they are looking to us for an example.... It time to tone down the political rhetoric," says Chabot, who voted Jan. 6 to object to a democratic election.
"Let's unite against the violence incited by Donald Trump," says Democrat Eric Swalwell.
GOP Rep. Greg Steube refers to the metal detectors being used to prevent members from carrying weapons onto the floor tonight as an "atrocity."
"Esta loco, el hombre," says Rep. Sylvia Garcia, of the president. House rules were changed to allow discussion of the president that would normally be banned as a personal attack.
Of the speakers this evening, one has broken partisan form. Republican John Katko says he'll vote for impeachment, though he opposes the 25th amendment move. GOP Rep. Pat Fallon, in contrast, claims the president merely held a "permitted, legal and peaceful rally."
"The last two times the 25th Amendment was used, it was to facilitate a colonoscopy," says Republican Matt Gaetz. Now, he says, "it's being used to facilitate a transition to Joe Biden. How weird. Why?"
"I won't spend another second saying why Donald Trump should be removed from office," says Democrat Maxine Waters. "This president showed us long ago."
"Tomorrow, they're going to impeach a president. A president who is leaving office in eight days," says Jim Jordan. "This is about more than impeaching the president... This is about canceling a president, and canceling all the people you guys disagree with."
"Every second that Donald Trump is president, the nation is at risk," says Adam Schiff.

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More from @NPRinskeep

12 Jan
At 6pm eastern time @NoelKing and I begin live coverage of tonight’s House debate pushing Vice President Pence and the cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment. @NPR
The resolution cites Trump’s incitement of the attack on the Capitol and his drive to overturn his defeat, and says he “demonstrated repeatedly, continuously, and spectacularly his absolute inability to discharge the most basic and fundamental powers and duties of his office.”
Here’s the full text:

npr.org/sections/trump…
Read 5 tweets
11 Jan
Arrested: Larry Rendell Brock, of Texas. Federal prosecutors say he “unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol wearing a green helmet, green tactical vest with patches, black and camo jacket, and beige pants holding a white flex cuff” normally used by police as a handcuff.
Also arrested: Eric Gavelek Munchel of Tennessee. Photos “show a person who appears to be Munchel carrying plastic restraints, an item in a holster on his right hip, and a cell phone mounted on his chest with the camera facing outward, ostensibly to record events that day.”
Now, I have seen people bring guns to “demonstrations,” but they were most often members of extremist groups in places such as Libya. I really can’t recall - not in Afghanistan, not Iraq, not Libya, not Egypt, not Venezuela - people bringing zip ties to a “demonstration.”
Read 6 tweets
9 Jan
The GOP response to the attack on democracy - and on them - resembles other events. Some lawmakers and elder statesmen do speak out firmly. Many lawmakers say they’re unhappy, privately. Publicly, the party just unanimously re-elected its Trumpist leadership.
Ben Sasse spoke to the dynamic on @NPR: “This isn't just a supply problem. We have a big chunk of voters. They're not a majority. But they're really loud... hopped up on rage clicks, and they're demanding nonsense stunts like the objection to the Electoral College vote.”
If faced with an impeachment vote, lawmakers can vote directly on the proposition that’s put to them (that sending rioters to storm the Capitol is bad). But they can also apply the idea of narrow personal responsibility (punish the rioters, not the leader who incited them.)
Read 6 tweets
7 Jan
Rep. Mancy Mace, R-SC, tells @MorningEdition she supported Trump but knows Biden won and Congress shouldn’t re-litigate. Now a target of violence. “The American people were lied to, his followers were lied to... people believed that Congress could usurp the...Electoral College.”
“I had my swearing in on Sunday. I'm a single mom. I brought my two children up... But I put my kids on the first plane home on Monday because [of] the rhetoric I was hearing...
“My life has been threatened... I was accosted Tuesday night on a street in D.C. This is not OK.”
*Nancy Mace
Read 4 tweets
6 Jan
"Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election. Nor can public doubt alone justify a radical break when the doubt itself was incited without any evidence."
"This election actually was not unusually close.... 1976, 2000, and 2004 were all closer than this one," said McConnell. If Congress overturned it, "our democracy would enter a death spiral." Calls his vote to uphold the election the most important of his 36 years in the Senate.
McConnell adds, "The United States Senate has a higher calling than an endless spiral of partisan vengeance." Calls for the Senate to "honor the people's decision."
Read 5 tweets
6 Jan
Colleague @johnson_carrie reports that Biden's pick for attorney general will be Merrick Garland. President Obama's last Supreme Court nominee, who was denied a hearing by a Republican Senate, now faces the prospect of a hearing before a Senate that Democrats may control. @NPR
Garland's deputies would be Lisa Monaco and Vanita Gupta, per a source talking with @johnson_carrie.
In the contrast between Garland (blocked in an election year) and Barrett (confirmed during the actual election) it's easy to argue Garland was the larger offense. In 2020 it could be said the president and Senate were still in office and should do their jobs for the full term.
Read 6 tweets

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