"I think the American people understand ... that we can’t do our job if the president thinks he’s above the law," Rep. Rashida Tlaib said. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Congress Tlaib: House Democrats are ‘moving toward’ impeachment

Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Sunday morning that House Democrats are “moving toward” a consensus that it’s time to weigh impeachment as an option.

The Michigan Democrat, who has been one of the most vocal advocates for impeaching President Donald Trump, said that the impeachment debate should be about holding Trump accountable, not about what it means for the 2020 presidential election.


“This is not about the 2020 election,” she said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “It’s about doing what’s right now for our country. This is going to be a precedent that we set when we don’t hold this president accountable to the rule of the law and to the United States Constitution.”

Tlaib added that she and her colleagues aren’t able to pass important and necessary reforms when “the president of the United States continues to lie to the American people, continues to not follow through on subpoenas and give us the information that we need.”

When host Chuck Todd asked why she and others hadn’t been able to persuade a majority of House Democrats to back impeachment, Tlaib said: “I think it is moving toward that. It’s going to demand that.“

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In making her point about presidential misconduct, Tlaib mentioned the president’s decision to bypass Congress on arms sales. The Trump administration on Friday notified Congress it plans to sell $8.1 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates without congressional approval.

“Think about what just happened recently,” Tlaib said of Trump. “The first time historically we did exercise our war powers and said, ‘No more arms deals.‘ … And he turned around and pretty much ignored Congress’ decision — a bipartisan decision.

“Understand, again, it goes hand in hand. And I think the American people understand that, that we can’t do our job if the president thinks he’s above the law, thinks that he cannot abide by what the United States Congress is passing through and asking and demanding of him.”