Dan Riehl has the story.
The rules of the House of Representatives feature a mechanism called a discharge petition to prevent popular legislation from being bottled up in committee. If 218 Members sign a discharge petition, the Speaker of the House must schedule the legislation for a floor vote.
House Republican leaders should consider a discharge petition on the impeachment legislation sponsored by Congressman Kucinich. As the legislation approached 218 signatures, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer would be forced to decide whether to schedule a vote, or to insist that their Members not sign the petition. It would force Democrats to choose between the Netroots and America.
When Republicans held the majority, they forced Democrats to take politically difficult votes on reinstatement of the draft, and an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. In the same way, Democrats in the minority used discharge petitions to force debate on alternate proposals for Iraq.
Turnabout is fair play. Should House Republicans force Democrats to take up impeachment?
Friday, September 14, 2007
Impeachment: the Cure for Every Problem
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Should House Republicans force Democrats to take up impeachment?
In other words, should Republicans grow a spine? While the House Republicans aren't nearly as passive as the Senate Republicans, I just haven't seen enough evidence that they would ever consider such a bold move.
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