Pelosi's Own Party Is Turning On Her For Withholding Impeachment

By
David Rufful
-
OPINION | This article contains opinion. This site is licensed to publish this content.

Democrats in the House are starting to turn on Speaker Nancy Pelosi for refusing to hand over the impeachment articles to the Senate.
Before the start of the new year, Pelosi said impeaching the president was urgent and forced the issue through her legislative chamber.
Now, suddenly, impeaching Trump is no longer an urgent matter. Or, she is refusing to hand over the impeachment process to a Republican-controlled Senate because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is refusing to bend to Democratic demands.
“There will be no haggling with the House over Senate procedure. We will not cede our authority to try this impeachment,” McConnell said on Twitter. “The House Democrats’ turn is over. The Senate has made its decision. This is for the Senate, and the Senate only, to decide.”
“I fully expect the parties will raise questions about witnesses at the appropriate time. I would remind my friends on the other side: I strongly suspect that not all the potential witnesses would be people the Democrats are eager to hear from,” he added per ABC News. “So the Senate will address all these questions at the appropriate time. That is for the Senate, and the Senate only, to decide. Period.”


Democrats want Pelosi to act.
“We are reaching a point where the articles of impeachment should be sent,” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said to a group of reporters on Wednesday per ABC News.
“If we’re going to do it, she should send them over,” Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said, adding, “I don’t see what good delay does.”
“I think getting the trial started sooner rather than later is, you know, probably important, and my guess is that that is going to be what happens, will probably open up this process next week,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said about the ongoing process.
And, from the report:

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., also added on Tuesday: “I think it needs to start, I really do … Let us do what we have to do over here.”
Sen. Angus King of Maine, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, told the Washington Post on Tuesday: “…I do think we need to get this thing going.”
Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana told POLITICO on Wednesday: “I don’t know what leverage we have. It looks like the cake is already baked.”

Pelosi, facing new intra-party pressures, said she would be keeping the impeachment process until McConnell shares how he will carry it out.
Republicans, too, are pressuring Pelosi to take action.
“Just weeks ago, it was Jerry Nadler and Eric Swalwell saying things like nothing could be more urgent than this impeachment,” Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz said to Fox News, per BizPac Review. “Swalwell called it a crime spree in progress, and now Nancy Pelosi sort of holds the articles of impeachment like some demented non-Santa Claus not delivering the gifts to the children. It’s very strange to observe.”
And, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik promoted a petition online which calls Pelosi to hand over the impeachment articles:


An action that earned her praise from President Trump:


Trump continued his criticisms of the impeachment process on Twitter on Thursday morning, calling it a “fraud.”