Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) accompanied by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), speaks about recent revelations about President Donald Trump's involvement with Russia on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. May 17, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein
The ranking Democrats on the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Intelligence Committees issued a joint statement declaring that House Freedom Caucus effort to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has no chance of removing Rosenstein.
Ranking Members Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) of the House Judiciary Committee, Elijah Cummings (D-MD) of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Adam Schiff (D-CA) of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence said in a joint statement provided to PoliticusUSA:
This resolution to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein is a direct attack on the Special Counsel’s investigation—full stop. It is a panicked and dangerous attempt to undermine an ongoing criminal investigation to protect President Trump as the walls are closing in on him and his associates. It is certainly not, as its sponsors claim, a principled attempt to conduct oversight of the Department of Justice, because House Republicans have refused to conduct oversight of any aspect of the Trump Administration, except where the inquiry might distract from their failed agenda, undermine law enforcement, and serve the interests of President Trump.
It is fortunate that this resolution has no chance of actually forcing the removal of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, who stands as one of the few restraints against the overreaches of the President and his allies in Congress. To date, Special Counsel Mueller has obtained 30 indictments and five guilty pleas against a group that includes four Trump campaign officials and 26 Russian nationals. The President should not mistake this move by his congressional enablers as a pretext to take any action against Mr. Rosenstein or Mr. Mueller and his investigation. Any attempt to do so will be viewed by Congress and the American people as further proof of an effort to obstruct justice with severe consequences for Trump and his presidency.
This resolution has been expected from Trump’s biggest defenders in the House for nearly two weeks. As I wrote when reports first surfaced that the Freedom Caucus was going to try this stunt, “This move by the Freedom Caucus is by no means a slam dunk to pass. In fact, it is a certainty that a substantial number of House Republicans will not support any effort to impeach Rosenstein and open the door for Trump to close down the Mueller investigation.”
There are already enough House Republicans on record who are willing to kill this resolution.
The Freedom Caucus brought the resolution to give Trump political cover. Anyone who has looked at the news headlines for at least six seconds over the past week can see why Trump’s House enablers made this desperate play now. Between the ongoing fallout from the Russia summit, Mueller’s investigation, and the Cohen tapes, Trump is sinking fast.
The resolution is an effort to rally the base, and change the subject. While the cult of Trump is already all in on impeaching Rosenstein, the resolution is going to fail and fail hard.
Trump’s panic has spread throughout the Republican Party, and with the clock ticking toward the midterm, House Republicans are down their few last desperate cards to play before the blue wave arrives.
At the intersection of Republican fear and desperation is a resolution to impeach Rod Rosenstein.
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