Impeach the President? Enough Grandstanding

By Daily Editorials

June 22, 2023 4 min read

As a report in Colorado Politics pointed out last week, Colorado's 3rd Congressional District Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert isn't the only member of Congress frittering away the GOP's newfound House majority with frivolous impeachment quests.

At last count, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Texas, submitted two sets of impeachment articles, one aimed at President Biden and the other at Vice President Kamala Harris. (Boebert signed on to both bills as a co-sponsor.) Previous impeachment resolutions were submitted in May by U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Bill Posey of Florida.

So, even if there isn't strength in numbers — considering only a handful such as Boebert are seeking to tilt at windmills — perhaps, at least, the spotlight on any one of them will be less intense. Let's hope.

Boebert's latest attempt to threaten the Biden presidency with an unattainable and, arguably, groundless impeachment — she tried in 2021, as well — might delight die-hards in her political base. But it probably leaves a lot of 3rd Congressional District voters feeling underwhelmed.

That's especially so for the plurality of voters in the district who are registered unaffiliated — fully 44% compared with 31% who are Republicans and 24% who are Democrats.

It also provides fodder for her once-and-again Democratic opponent, Aspenite Adam Frisch. Boebert beat him by the slimmest margin in her reelection bid in November, and now, he's seeking a rematch in 2024.

You can bet the Frisch camp is scripting campaign mailers that nail Boebert for squandering precious time in Congress with pointless publicity stunts. And while those same mailers unfairly will ignore her substantive achievements on behalf of her district, it's hard to quibble with the basic premise that she is wasting time on grandstanding.

Alas, Boebert doesn't seem inclined to blend into the crowd. She's not one to keep her nose to the grindstone and toil away in obscurity on the basic chores of lawmaking in Washington or constituent services back home.

Hence, her articles of impeachment last week charging the president with "dereliction of duty" by failing to "secure the southern border."

"Joe Biden unconstitutionally violated his duty under Article II of the Constitution to 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed' by intentionally disregarding our immigration laws and enabling an invasion along our southern border," Boebert said in a news release issued by her office.

As noted by Colorado Politics, Boebert has said she will invoke a House rule allowing her to use a "privileged motion" to force a House vote on her impeachment articles.

Of course, the effort doesn't have a prayer even in a House that has reverted to Republican control since the November election. The same goes for other members' attempts at impeachment. Differences over immigration or any other policy issue are rightly viewed by most sensible members of Congress as grounds for debate, not impeachment. So there aren't enough votes for an impeachment in the House, and the Democratic Senate wouldn't vote to convict.

Which probably is why Colorado's 6th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Jason Crow dismissed Boebert's impeachment attempt as a "clown show" in a tweet last week. He has a point.

Make no mistake, Boebert raises serious concerns about the border — concerns we share. And she is justified in lashing out at the Biden administration's abdication of its responsibility to secure our nation's borders.

The issue warrants serious debate and a demand for action — not a political stunt that only serves to foster more public skepticism about the whole political process.

REPRINTED FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

Photo credit: Elijah Mears at Unsplash

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