Top House Democrats said Wednesday they will join Republicans in blocking a House-wide vote on impeaching President Donald Trump.
"I have said before from this podium, this is not the right approach we should be taking," House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said at his weekly press conference. "I'll join members of the leadership team in voting to table that motion."
Aguilar called the push by one lawmaker within his caucus a "distraction" from Democrats' messaging that Republicans are trying to gut Medicaid via Trump's "big, beautiful bill" - a narrative the GOP has pushed back on.
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Democrats are scrambling after Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., stood on the House floor Tuesday and invoked a maneuver that effectively forces House leaders to take up a piece of legislation within two House working days.
House Republican leadership has opted for a vote on Wednesday evening to table the measure, a procedural motion that, if successful, would block a House-wide vote on impeachment.
Thanedar acknowledged his colleagues' concerns about his move during his own press conference Wednesday morning, though he insisted it would not deter him.
"Even some Democrats call me a lunatic, just like the president has called me lunatic," the Michigan Democrat said.
"But they have never said, nobody has said to me, 'Mr. Thanedar, the seven articles of impeachment that you presented to the U.S. Congress, they're a piece of s---. They're not good. You missed it, missed the point. They are not legally right.' They didn't do that. No one says that."
However, Aguilar said hours later that it was not the right time to push an impeachment effort.
"This is such an impactful moment, and our colleagues are locking themselves in a room for 24 hours to protect and defend healthcare. We shouldn't be talking about this proposal that is not right, not timely," Aguilar said, referring to the House Energy & Commerce Committee's meeting on budget reconciliation, which has been ongoing since 2 p.m. Tuesday.
"This president is no stranger to impeachments, he's been impeached twice. Impeachment is a tool that can be used, but it takes weeks, months to do. Right now the issue of the day is, will hill Republicans stand up and support healthcare in this country?"
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When reached for comment on Thanedar's push on Tuesday, White House spokesperson Liz Huston told Fox News Digital, "Every action taken by President Trump and his administration is fully lawful and firmly rooted in the will of the American people. President Trump is doing exactly what he promised: securing our border, bringing in trillions of dollars in investment to America, and restoring common-sense leadership."
"Meanwhile, Democrats are once again showing where their true priorities lie - siding with illegal immigrants over the safety, security, and well-being of hardworking American citizens. This desperate impeachment stunt is nothing more than a reckless political act that the American people see right through," the White House said.
No Republican is expected to vote to proceed with impeachment.
