Harvard constitutional law professor Noah Feldman says that Donald Trump’s obstruction of the House impeachment investigation robs Congress of its job to impeach and puts Trump above the law. Feldman makes a strong case, but Donald Trump’s gauntlet thrown at the House Democrats, and, by association, Congress should make supporting Trump much harder for members of Congress.
Trump challenged Congress with this statement by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone: “Trump and his administration reject your baseless, unconstitutional efforts to overturn the democratic process. … Your unprecedented actions have left the president with no choice. In order to fulfill his duties to the American people, the Constitution, the executive branch and all future occupants of the office of the presidency, President Trump and his administration cannot participate in your partisan and unconstitutional inquiry.”
In speaking for the president, Cipollone implies that Trump’s claim of innocence makes the impeachment inquiry unconstitutional. The president is not authorized or qualified enough to determine the constitutionality of an impeachment.
If Congress lets him get away with this flimsy concept, they will render the impeachment process impotent and useless. Without the threat of impeachment, Trump has a free pass to do anything he wants and, as an unintended consequence, make the legislative branch irrelevant. They will make the president a king.
All senators and representatives – Democrats, independents and Republicans alike – have no choice. If they want to retain congressional power and influence, they must impeach. Otherwise, they might as well close the doors of Congress and go home.
Peter Konieczko
Scarborough
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