Washington, D.C. – Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) is calling for the censure of President Trump following his Helsinki News Conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Peters’ office released a statement following the summit that read in part, “President Trump’s disgraceful remarks in Helsinki betray our American democracy in the face of its most dangerous adversary. His alarming dismissal of the American intelligence community’s unanimous assessment that Russia waged cyberwarfare on America and his decision instead to stand with an autocratic tyrant diminish America’s world standing. We must stand up to the President’s refusal to defend our country. Today, I call on both Democratic and Republican leadership in the House and Senate to introduce a formal joint resolution censuring the President for his egregious comments.”
History of The Censure
The Presidential Censure is a formal reprimand that rarely is used.
The censure is a condemnation of an individual or group whose actions run counter to the group’s acceptable standards for individual behavior.
The censure carries no legal consequence.
The first time it was used was against Andrew Jackson in 1834. The last time was 1864. Abraham Lincoln and his war secretary Edwin Stanton, were condemned by the Senate for allowing an elected member of the House to hold commissions in the Army. The Senate voted for the reprimand 24 to 12, but it was referred to a special committee and no further action was taken.
More recently, Congress was said to be considering a censure of President Bill Clinton but instead opted for impeachment.
Like most in his party, Peters has been critical of President Trump every step of the way. I spoke with Peters on our IVN podcast to discuss his censure release and the path forward.
Check out the Podcast below!