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Michigan congressman heading back to DC to vote for impeachment

steve carmody
/
Michigan Radio

Impeachmentpressure mounting, the House is working swiftly to try to oust President Donald Trump from office.

Rep. Dan Kildee(D-Flint) is among members of Michigan’s congressional delegation who will be in Washington this week to vote for a resolution of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

Democrats are pushing Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet members to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office. A resolution calling on Pence to do so was blocked Monday by Republicans.

But more votes are expected Tuesday, with an impeachment vote Wednesday.

Trump faces a single charge - "incitement of insurrection" - over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump if Pence doesn't help.  

Kildee says the president must be held accountable for inciting a riot that forced members of Congress like himself to flee and hide from pro-Trump extremists last week. 

“Just think about it this way, if you can’t be impeached for inciting an insurrection against your own government as the president of the United States, then why do we have the tool of impeachment in the Constitution,” says Kildee.

Kildee says he would also like to see members of Congress who aided the rioters face penalties.

“Censure or expulsion might only be the beginning of the accountability they may face.  It could go deeper than that,” says Kildee. 

Kildee was among a group of Congressmen briefly trapped in the House chamber as the rioters invade the capitol building.

President Donald Trump is set to leave Jan. 20 when Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated. 

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Public since 2005. Steve previously worked at public radio and television stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and also has extensive experience in commercial broadcasting.
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.