Our WA-07 Rep is one of 41 members on the House Judiciary Committee meeting this week in Washington D.C. for hearings on the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of the House Democratic Progressive Caucus, has been a vocal critic of Trump and Republican tactics to bog down the hearings. Jayapal said she was “disgusted” by the GOP in her latest round of TV appearances before Wednesday’s start of the committee hearings. “We are not talking about some game here.”

Impeachment and the removal of Trump has been an interest to Jayapal’s constituents from long before the Ukraine scandal. In a 2017 coffee gathering held at Broadway’s Espresso Vivace, Jayapal said her office was fielding hundreds of questions about the emoluments clause, how certain bills got to the floor, and what the impeachment rules are.

The judiciary members are hearing from legal experts Wednesday as they prepare to weigh possible articles of impeachment against Trump. Last month, the House Intelligence Committee held hearings on allegations the Trump administration sought foreign interference in the U.S. election. A report from those hearings asserting “Trump abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to help him in the 2020 presidential election” was presented to the judiciary members Tuesday.

CHS wrote about a local connection to those hearings here — First Hill art museum’s The Frye’s Café Frieda might make an interesting place to hold a party in the coming weeks.

If you would like to add your voice, you can contact Jayapal’s office here — DC 202-225-3106; Seattle 206-674-0040.

Activists are also planning rallies in cities across the county to show support for the impeachment effort. The Seattle event is being planned for the downtown Federal Building.

Impeachment Eve Rally to demand Action from Congress
Where: Henry M. Jackson Federal Building Plaza, 915 2nd Ave, Seattle
When: The night before the impeachment vote. RSVP to get a text when the date is known http://act.moveon.org/event/impeach-and-remove-attend/125784

UPDATE: Here is video of Jayapal’s time at the microphone Wednesday. “If we don’t stand up now to a President who abuses his power we risk sending a message to all future presidents that they can put their own personal political interest ahead of the American people, our national security and our elections and that is the gravest of threats to our democracy,” she said before turning to questions for the legal experts called before the committee. Jayapal’s questions centered on what drove the Trump administration’s interest in Ukraine political and economic corruption.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she has asked House committee chairs to proceed with articles of impeachment, saying lawmakers have “no choice but to act.”

This is a deeply grave moment we find ourselves in as a nation. Failing to stand up to a President’s abuse of power is a threat to our democracy. Pres. Trump’s explanation that he was really worried about corruption in Ukraine is not credible as Prof. Karlan and I discussed. pic.twitter.com/xRJvr9g7qY

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) December 5, 2019

Jayapal also issued a statement on the committee’s next steps:

U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), a member of the House Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, today issued the following statement after House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) announced the Committee will hold a hearing on Monday, December 9, to receive presentations of evidence from counsels to the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees related to the impeachment of President Donald Trump: “The Speaker has asked that House Judiciary Committee begin drafting article of impeachments, a task that we will undertake seriously, carefully and thoughtfully, in conjunction with leadership,” said Jayapal. “In spite of unprecedented obstruction of Congress by the President and his Administration, the House impeachment inquiry has uncovered an overwhelming amount of uncontested facts. The facts paint a damning picture of a President who abused the power of his office for his own personal, political interests.” “This is a sober moment for the nation. My colleagues and I must look at all the facts, consider the lasting ramifications of a President who believes he is above the law and engages in behavior that openly threatens our elections and our democracy, and remember the oath we’ve been entrusted to uphold. If we don’t stand up now to a president who abuses his power, we risk sending a message to all future presidents that they can put their own personal political interests ahead of the American people, our elections, and our national security. This would be a grave threat to our democracy and our Constitution,” said Jayapal. “I will stay true to the oath I took to defend the Constitution, and I hope my Republican colleagues will do the same.”

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