Rep. Ilhan Omar Urges Impeachment On House Floor: 'We, As A Nation, Can No Longer Look Away'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar urged for the impeachment and immediate removal of President Donald Trump on the U.S. House floor Wednesday, a week after the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a mob of Trump supporters.
Rep. Omar made the statement as the House is moving forward with an impeachment vote against Trump. If it passes, he will be the first president to be impeached twice.
Here's the entire statement Omar made Wednesday morning:
"Let us not mince words about what happened last week. It was a violent attempt to interrupt our democratic process. It was a targeted blow at the most essential process that makes us a democracy. It was direct, and specifically incited by the President of the United States. For years, we have been asked to turn a blind eye to the criminality, corruption and blatant disregard to the rule of law by the tyrant president we have in the White House. We, as a nation, can no longer look away. The president not only incited an insurrection against our government, but has in word and deed led a rebellion. We cannot simply move passed this or turn the page. For us to survive as a functioning democracy, there has to be accountability. We must impeach and remove this president from the office immediately so that he cannot be a threat to our democracy. I stand ready to fulfill my oath of office and I challenge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do the same."
Omar was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning. When asked if it's worth impeaching Trump even if the process risks overshadowing President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, she said: "To me, there is a greater risk. That greater risk is not having consequences for this president and his actions, and those in the House and in the Senate that have enabled this insurrection and attempted coup to take place."
A number of Democrats, including those in Minnesota's delegation to Congress, have called this week for the president to be removed from office either by impeachment or through the invoking of the 25th Amendment.
If the impeachment resolution passes as expected, Democrats plan to send the article of impeachment to the Senate for trial "as soon as possible," Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said. A final vote in the House is expected Wednesday afternoon.
MORE: Live Updates From CBS News
Some Republicans in Congress have started to break with the president. At least five of them, including Congresswoman Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House, have said they will vote to impeach him.
