Read on Twitter
Time to consider #14thAmendment rather than #impeachment against #Trump. It provides timely constitutional accountability, is likely to succeed, limits GOP efforts to hide w/legalisms, is targeted at insurrection, and country can then move forward to pressing issues. Thread… 1/
Accountability for Jan 6 events is essential. Now, however, looks clear #impeachment will fail to gain 2/3 Senate. While symbolism important, a failed vote sends a message of failed accountability. Instead, #14thAmendment offers viable alternative. 2/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-senators-to-question-basis-for-trump-impeachment-signaling-likely-acquittal/2021/01/26/cd7397dc-6002-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html
Enacted immediately after the Civil War, 14th Amendment is best known for its equal protection powers but Sect 3 prohibits those that “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or gave “aid or comfort” to those efforts from holding future public office. 3/ https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xiv
Even if #impeachment somehow passed it needs a second majority vote to convict for penalties like not holding future office. #14thAmendment provides that accountability & denies GOP legalisms to hide behind (ie Q of impeachment of those not in office) 4/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/opinion/Trump-impeachment-disqualification.html
Also the #14thAmendment process requires majority straight-up votes by both bodies to pass a law that Section 3 applies to Jan 6 insurrection (to Trump and others engaged in insurrection), so an open legislative process rather than trial. 5/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/01/12/14th-amendment-impeachment-alternative/
Voting on #14thAmendment sends message of accountability (Trump would be the only president to have this happen) and has much higher chance of success. It also is much less time consuming, allowing Congress/citizens to have accountability & move on to other pressing issues. 6/
Also appreciate #14thAmendment directly applies to Jan 6 events—as it’s geared to those that “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or gave “aid or comfort” to those efforts. So it’s less likely to become political football in future. 7/
Finally, symbolism. This would invoke a penalty from the Civil War era for #Trump for insurrection & those who paraded confederate battle flag through Congress trying stop a presidential transition (while not precluding other legal charges against insurrectionists). 8/ ###
