House Democrat backs off forcing impeachment vote after objections from party leaders

WASHINGTON — Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., backed off his threat to force a vote Wednesday on his resolution to impeach President Donald Trump, acceding to Democratic leaders who had warned the effort served as a distraction.

Thanedar said he still believed that Trump has committed impeachable offenses, including planning to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar.

But in a statement, he added: "[A]fter talking with many colleagues, I have decided not to force a vote on impeachment today. Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me."

"This is not about any one person or party; it is about defending America, our Constitution, and Rule of Law," Thanedar continued. "I will continue to pursue all avenues to put this President on notice and hold him accountable for his many impeachable crimes."

Hours earlier, Thanedar, who is facing a tough primary challenge from the left, had vowed to press forward and force the impeachment vote, even in the face of vocal opposition from fellow Democrats.

Privately, Democratic leaders were offering him a way out. House GOP leaders gave Thanedar a window where he needed to appear on the House floor and call up his resolution. Democratic leaders urged Thanedar to simply not show up at that time, a Democratic leadership source said.

That's precisely what Thanedar did. He missed the window, ensuring that no vote on impeachment would happen this week.

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Democratic leaders believe an impeachment vote — destined to fail in the GOP-led House — would take focus away from issues like the cuts to Medicaid that are included in Republicans' sweeping bill for Trump's agenda.

Thanedar introduced seven articles of impeachment against Trump last month, accusing the president of obstructing justice, abusing executive power and corruption, among other charges. 

Earlier in the week, Thanedar had asked for his resolution to be considered “privileged,” which forces leaders in the Republican-led House to bring the measure to the floor within two legislative days.

“So those who are asking me, is this the right time to do it? I say it’s never the wrong time to do the right thing,” Thanedar said at a press conference outside the Capitol Wednesday morning.

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The House voted twice to impeach Trump during his first term when Democrats controlled the chamber.

House Republicans were expected to call up the resolution Wednesday evening and then hold a vote to table or kill the resolution. House Democratic leaders were urging their rank-and-file members to vote to table the resolution.

“I have said before from this podium that this is not the right approach we should be taking,” Rep. Pete Aguilar D-Calif., the chair of the House Democratic caucus, told reporters. “I will join members of the leadership team and vote to table that motion."

Aguilar said Democrats’ focus “is on health care being stripped away from the American people.”

“That is the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week,” he said. “Everything else is a distraction.”

Even Democrats' most outspoken Trump critics had been dismissive of Thanedar's move.

"[R]ight now, I think our central focus is the fact that Republicans are currently working on cutting 13.7 million Americans from health insurance," said progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

On Wednesday afternoon, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., slammed what he called the Democrats' "sham impeachment charade."

“While Democrats are throwing fits, impeding law enforcement, playing political games, and demonstrating how far out of touch they are — Republicans are working to deliver lower taxes for families, restore American energy dominance, strengthen border security, restore peace through strength, and make government work more efficiently and effectively," Johnson said in a statement. "The contrast has never been more clear.”