House Democrats have introduced a resolution to impeach President Donald Trump, charging him with "incitement of insurrection." For Congress, impeachment is typically the last resort against a president after all other avenues have been exhausted, according to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif. 15th District), but he said as long as President Donald Trump remains in office, the country is at risk.
"The president is a threat to life and he is a threat to our democratic ideals," Swalwell told Cheddar.
Swalwell said that Trump's actions were more dangerous than those of other presidents who faced impeachment. "There have been prior presidents to have been impeached, or have come close to impeachment, but no one has ever endangered so many lives. And this president still has access to the nuclear codes."
The resolution comes after the House Democrats' attempt to urge Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment was blocked by their GOP counterparts, some of whom are now calling for unification following last week's attack.
"I'm not going to be bullied by those who were accomplices to the attack on the Capitol. Those who are calling for unity and healing were the same ones who foolishly and falsely lead thousands to believe that they could overturn a peaceful election," Swalwell said. "Republicans and Democrats want to unite, but we have to separate ourselves from those who are responsible."
When it comes to those lawmakers who backed Trump's false claims that the November election was stolen, Swalwell stated that they have to be held responsible for their roles in the Capitol attack, even if that means expulsion from the body.
While House Majority Whip James Clyburn suggested that the House could delay sending impeachment articles to the Senate until after President-elect Joe Biden's first 100 days in office are complete, Swalwell noted that the body is capable of handling several issues at once and that letting this incident slide under the radar could set a negative precedent.
"The second we allow people to enable and inspire and radicalize others to take arms against the United States, that is the second we either go back in time to 1860 or we look like countries who we do not want to look like," he said.
Even as tech giant Google implements a vaccination mandate, charging its employees to declare their vaccine status within a time frame or risk dismissal, the federal government is tangled up in the court system trying to impose one of its own. Cindy Cohn, the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Harry Nelson, founder and managing partner of Nelson Hardiman LLP, joined Cheddar to debate the ethics, efficacy, and legality surrounding the issue. While Cohn noted that she thinks the federal mandate might be legally sound, her organization is also concerned with a separate question of privacy. "At EFF what we're most interested in is the digital surveillance that's going along with some of these attempts to try to track and confirm whether people are vaccinated or not," she said.
A new report from CNBC says Instagram recently reached a new milestone -- 2 billion monthly active users. It comes amid a year of controversy for the photo-sharing app and its parent company, Meta. SocialFlow CEO Jim Anderson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There is a new way for investors to bet on cannabis - the AdvisorShares Poseidon Dynamic Cannabis ETF targets about 20 of the biggest names in U.S. cannabis. It comes at a time when it's still difficult for investors to access the space. Cheddar News cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with co-founder and managing director for Poseidon Investment Management, Emily Paxhia.
Victor Li, an economics professor at the Villanova School of Business, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the latest Fed decision and the implications it has on the stock market.
After nearly two years of the pandemic, U.S. consumers are ready to spend big this holiday season. However, shoppers may be faced with limited inventory as the U.S. continues to face shortages of key products and extended order backlogs. Per Hong, partner at consulting firm Kearney, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the country's path forward.
The U.S. Government is making its first major move toward encouraging nuclear energy in the U.S., as it pushes toward a sustainable future. Scott Waldman, White House reporter for Politico's E&E News joined Cheddar News to break down the developments. "There's definitely an audience for this now since we're looking at the value of nuclear in terms of climate policy," he said, regarding the prospects for bipartisan support.
CEOs of the top U.S. airlines are set to testify in front of a Senate committee Wednesday. Lawmakers will ask airline executives about how they used pandemic-related federal aid, specifically in light of staffing issues and widespread cancellations. Among those expected to participate are the CEOs of American, United, and Southwest Airlines. David Slotnick, Senior Aviation Business Reporter at The Points Guy, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
