If an impeachment resolution were to make it to the Senate right now, I think it would pass today
Not a fucking chance. Republicans have had every opportunity to ditch Trump with very little political fallout. All they needed was to have Susan Collins or one of the other supposedly not crazy Republicans vote with Democrats. They have categorically refused to do so on multiple occasions. They are on the Trump train until it fully goes off the rails.
The key difference this time, though, is that Trump is stepping directly on their power. The sanctions bill was passed, with bipartisan support, and he is just ignoring it. If an impeachment were to go the Senate over this, how can the Senate basically say “Yeah, we passed this law and he signed it, but it’s OK that he’s ignoring it now”?
I mean, they named the bil after Graham. I bet they all take it personally.
Congress holds the power of the purse and the ability to declare war. Why is this different than Trump stealing those powers? He’s done both on multiple occasions.
Yes, but when he has done both before, it has always been in line with what the majority party wants, even if it is illegal. For instance, ever since Grover Nordquist stated out loud that he wanted to “make government so small you could drown it in rhe bathtub”, Conservatives fantasized about just firing them all, but all those pesky laws got in the way. Their solution was to elect someone who didn’t give a damn about what was legal, and then let him do all the dirty DOGE work without actually having to vote on it. The Republican majority is simply letting him do all the illegal shit, in the hopes that it deflects any future blame from themselves.
But this is different. This is Congress specifically voting for the President to do something, and the President agreeing to do it, then saying “Sike!” And not doing it. If allowed to stand, it makes Congress irrelevant. The Senate, in particular, takes their job seriously. If an impeachment resolution makes it there over this key point, voting against it is basically voting to dissolve their own power.
In particular, if Democrats do very well in the midterms, you may find Trump chickening out of this one, too. Because would the Senate still impeach if the President backs off on the infringing behavior? Even a month or two of lifting sanctions might give Russia enough cash to make a difference, after all.
Not a fucking chance. Republicans have had every opportunity to ditch Trump with very little political fallout. All they needed was to have Susan Collins or one of the other supposedly not crazy Republicans vote with Democrats. They have categorically refused to do so on multiple occasions. They are on the Trump train until it fully goes off the rails.
The key difference this time, though, is that Trump is stepping directly on their power. The sanctions bill was passed, with bipartisan support, and he is just ignoring it. If an impeachment were to go the Senate over this, how can the Senate basically say “Yeah, we passed this law and he signed it, but it’s OK that he’s ignoring it now”?
I mean, they named the bil after Graham. I bet they all take it personally.
Congress holds the power of the purse and the ability to declare war. Why is this different than Trump stealing those powers? He’s done both on multiple occasions.
Yes, but when he has done both before, it has always been in line with what the majority party wants, even if it is illegal. For instance, ever since Grover Nordquist stated out loud that he wanted to “make government so small you could drown it in rhe bathtub”, Conservatives fantasized about just firing them all, but all those pesky laws got in the way. Their solution was to elect someone who didn’t give a damn about what was legal, and then let him do all the dirty DOGE work without actually having to vote on it. The Republican majority is simply letting him do all the illegal shit, in the hopes that it deflects any future blame from themselves.
But this is different. This is Congress specifically voting for the President to do something, and the President agreeing to do it, then saying “Sike!” And not doing it. If allowed to stand, it makes Congress irrelevant. The Senate, in particular, takes their job seriously. If an impeachment resolution makes it there over this key point, voting against it is basically voting to dissolve their own power.
In particular, if Democrats do very well in the midterms, you may find Trump chickening out of this one, too. Because would the Senate still impeach if the President backs off on the infringing behavior? Even a month or two of lifting sanctions might give Russia enough cash to make a difference, after all.