Texas Lawmakers Call For Trump Impeachment, Removal

AUSTIN, TX — In the wake of the insurrection by pro-Trump rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, an increasing number of lawmakers on Thursday — including three in Texas — are calling for the president to be removed from office by invoking the 25th Amendment of the Constitution or proceed with impeachment hearings.

The nation's Capitol was breached by scores of rioters who interrupted the counting of Electoral College votes from the November presidential election. Trump is accused of having instigated the mob's actions in calling for its ranks to march to the Capitol after he repeated false claims of electoral fraud in a speech preceding the breach.

In the U.S. House, three Texas Democrats are calling for action against the president, as CNN reported:

• Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, representing the 18th congressional district that includes much of inner city Houston and the surrounding area. Lee was among those reacting to the violent overtake of the Capitol on Wednesday. "I am in the U.S. Capitol," she tweeted after being secreted to a safe, undisclosed location. "I am safe and will not fear or leave because of this unwarranted and shameless violence. These actions are not serving well at all our precious Democracy, America."
• Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, 16th Congressional District in El Paso, also has called for action to be taken against Trump.
• Rep. Sylvia Garcia, representing the 29th Congressional district that encompasses the eastern portion of the Greater Houston area, added her voice in punishing the president. In the midst of the siege, Garcia also alerted to her safety. "I'm safe," she wrote on Twitter. "Thank you for your concern and prayers."

Only one House Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, has called for punitive action against the president.

Related stories:

• Texas Officials React As Trump Supporters Breach U.S. Capitol
  
• Pro-Trump Demonstrators Gather Outside Texas Capitol
• Trump Mob Breach Locked Down Capitol; 1 Shot In Melee

In the Senate, neither of the state's two Republican senators — Ted Cruz and John Cornyn — have called for action to be taken against Trump. Cruz on Wednesday led a failed effort to discredit the Arizona vote in attempts to overthrow the election in favor of Trump. Despite the mob violence, he ultimately voted to uphold the objection to the Electoral College votes for president from Arizona and Pennsylvania, despite several of his Republican colleagues opting to drop their own challenges. The objection was not sustained in either chamber of Congress and Democrat Joe Biden was ultimately declared the winner by Vice President Mike Pence.

Patch will update the list of lawmakers calling for action to be taken against Trump should the list grow.