Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pa. calls for impeaching Trump

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Delaware County Democrat who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, called Tuesday for opening impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, adding to a roiling debate within her party.

Scanlon is the second Pennsylvania member of Congress to call for impeachment, after U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, a Philadelphia Democrat who took that stand in 2017. As a member of the judiciary committee, she would be part of the panel that would begin the proceedings and investigate the president. Scanlon’s statement came as members of the House Democratic leadership team have increased the pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) to move ahead with impeachment, which Pelosi has long resisted.

Scanlon announced her stand on the day former White House counsel Don McGahn defied a subpoena to appear from the committee and face questions about Trump and potential obstruction of justice. Trump has vowed to fight all subpoenas as Democrats seek to investigate his administration’s actions and policies.

“Congress has patiently tried to work within traditional means to get to the bottom of this extraordinary situation. But, we have reached an inflection point,” Scanlon said in her statement. “The President’s refusal to produce evidence or permit witness testimony defies not only the rule of law but the basic protections of our Constitution. No one is above the rule of law. The time has come to start an impeachment inquiry because the American people deserve to know the truth and to have the opportunity to judge the gravity of the evidence and charges leveled against the President.”

She said it was “by no means an easy decision” but that Trump’s “efforts to cover up his acts, and those of his campaign and administration, threaten the foundation of our democracy.”


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