Wednesday, January 13, 2021

On The Brink

Last night the House of Representatives sent a resolution to Vice-President Pence to invoke Section 4 of the 25th amendment removing the 45th President from his duties. The deadline for that was passed and so the House voted on the resolution to begin debate on Articles of Impeachment against the President.

National Guard troops from several states including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, & Delaware have begun arriving in Washington DC. Several have been assigned to the Capitol building itself. The pictures this morning feel epic, comic-tragic and banal.


Members began assembling in the Capitol for debate on Impeachment at 9AM. 


What this comes down to today is a straightforward matter that has all sorts of ramifications. Do we let the 45th President create a path here for widely accepted sedition that he intends to lead to his own assertion of extra-constitutional tenure, or, do we rather punish him by impeachment for inciting insurrection in order to contest the 2020 elections? In simpler terms, do we let him become something like a king or do we hold him accountable by impeachment for this his latest, but most important, dereliction of duty.

The House of Representatives voted after a five hour debate with 231 votes to impeach the President of the United States, and 197 votes against, with ten Republicans voting with Democrats. The entirety of these actions can be viewed here, with commentary from PBS.

Two more police have died since Sunday. One from injuries sustained during last Wednesday's insurrection attempt at the Capitol. Another committed suicide.


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