Dem rep breaks with Pelosi on impeachment: ‘Not a matter of whether, it’s a matter of when’

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said Tuesday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made “valid points” in her latest comments that she’s not in favor of impeaching President Trump right now, but said he feels the House is already gathering evidence to prepare for such a process.

“I fully understand where Speaker Pelosi is coming from. She makes valid points,” Yarmuth said on CNN’s “New Day.”

“In my opinion if impeachment is to mean anything, and it’s in the Constitution for a reason, it’s because when we see evidence of impeachable offenses we need to start the process to remove the president from office,” he added.

{mosads}Yarmuth, who chairs the House Budget Committee said he feels there’s evidence that Trump has abused his power, citing his reported involvement in the AT&T-Time Warner merger due to his longtime feud with CNN. He also accused Trump of possibly violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

“I think we are essentially in the beginning of an impeachment process,” he said, noting that multiple House committees have held hearings related to the Trump administration.

“I don’t think right now there’s any way that we could get 218 votes on the floor of the House for an impeachment resolution, but I think that’s not a matter of whether, it’s a matter of when,” Yarmuth said.

.@RepJohnYarmuth says he disagrees with House Speaker Pelosi remarks that she’s “not for impeachment.”

“I think we are essentially in the beginning of an impeachment process. … I happen to believe there is sufficient evidence of abuse of power,” he says. https://t.co/anSwOS61Pu pic.twitter.com/L1Y9rFywCH

— New Day (@NewDay) March 12, 2019

The debate within the Democratic caucus was given new life on Monday after The Washington Post published an interview with Pelosi in which she weighed in with some of her strongest remarks yet on the topic.

“Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And he’s just not worth it,” Pelosi told the Post.

Pelosi said that, despite her opposition to impeachment at the moment, she does not believe Trump is fit to serve as president.

The issue of impeachment has divided Democrats since they retook control of the House in January.

Some members have already introduced articles of impeachment, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said she plans to introduce another measure by the end of the month aimed at ousting the president.

Party leaders, including Pelosi, have largely sought to tamp down the issue, arguing that lawmakers should take a wait-and-see approach as special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees conduct ongoing investigations.