[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 353 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 353
Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high
crimes and misdemeanors.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 28, 2025
Mr. Thanedar (for himself, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Nadler, and Ms. Kelly of
Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high
crimes and misdemeanors.
Resolved, That Donald John Trump, President of the United States,
is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following
articles of impeachment be exhibited to the Senate:
Article of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives
of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people
of the United States of America, against Donald John Trump, President
of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its
impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.
article i: obstruction of justice, violation of due process, and a
breach of the duty to faithfully execute laws
The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives ``shall
have the sole Power of Impeachment'' and that the President ``shall be
removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason,
Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors''. Further, Article II
of the Constitution states that the President ``shall take Care that
the Laws be faithfully executed'', the Fourth Amendment of the
Constitution states that ``The right of the people . . . against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated'', and the
Fifth Amendment of the Constitution states ``No person shall be . . .
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law''.
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States--and in
violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the
office of President of the United States and, to the best of his
ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United
States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that
the laws be faithfully executed--Donald John Trump has abused the
powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of,
the Constitution, in that:
Using the power of his high office, Donald John Trump has engaged
in this scheme or course of conduct through the following means:
(1) By his orders and directions to subordinates,
obstructed the administration of justice and embarked on a
scheme to destroy and corrupt the legal system and the powers
of the courts under Article III of the Constitution.
Specifically, he has done the following:
(A) Directed and permitted his subordinates and
attorneys at the Department of Justice to violate their
oaths to uphold the Constitution, laws of the United
States, and the rules of professional ethics by
adducing misleading and willfully false representations
to the courts of the United States, and to otherwise
abuse their official powers. Specifically, he has--
(i) sought to dismiss, without prejudice
and under false pretenses, the bribery and
fraud charges against New York City Mayor Eric
Adams, in an unethical quid pro quo exchange
for the Defendant's cooperation with the
Administration's political priorities, thus
abusing the criminal laws to unconstitutionally
commandeer a State officer and unit of
government in violation of the sovereignty
thereof; and
(ii) terminated and purged career
Department of Justice attorneys without
reasonable cause and in violation of the law in
retaliation for their legitimate investigatory
and prosecutorial work under prior
administrations, including in relation to the
January 6, 2021, attack on the United States
Capitol, and in retaliation for attorneys
upholding their ethical and legal obligations
including candor and honesty to the courts.
(B) Directed and permitted the evasion and defiance
of binding court orders. Specifically, he has--
(i) removed persons from the United States
to El Salvador despite an order from the United
States District Court for the District of
Columbia, for which said Court has found
probable cause that the Government committed
acts of criminal contempt;
(ii) removed Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia
from the United States to El Salvador despite a
binding Withholding of Removal order
prohibiting the government from removing him to
El Salvador;
(iii) defied court orders, upheld by a
unanimous ruling of the Supreme Court, to
facilitate the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia,
and related orders to provide information to
the court and opposing counsel, while publicly
flaunting their refusal;
(iv) acted in contempt of court for
violating a court-sanctioned settlement
agreement; and
(v) conducted enforced disappearances of
persons without due process and without
disclosing their fate and location to their
families and legal counsel, in violation of the
Constitution and the rulings of the Supreme
Court, as well as the foundational principles
of due process and the rule of law.
(C) Directed and permitted the deliberate and
systematic violation of laws duly enacted by Congress.
Specifically, he has--
(i) terminated Inspector Generals, the
officers responsible for detecting and
preventing waste by auditing and investigating
their respective agencies' operations and
personnel, in violation of the process
stipulated by the Inspector Generals Act of
1974, as subsequently amended;
(ii) terminated a member of the Merit
Systems Protection Board, a tribunal created to
address widespread public concerns about the
Federal civil service; and
(iii) unlawfully transmitted sensitive
personal information of private citizens and
government employees in violation of, among
other Federal laws, the Privacy Act and the
Administrative Procedure Act.
In all of this, Donald John Trump has willfully disregarded
Federal laws and the Constitution, imperiled a coequal branch of
Government, and threatened the integrity of the democratic system. He
thereby betrayed his trust as President, abused the powers of the
Presidency, acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance
and the rule of law, and has committed the High Crimes and Misdemeanors
of obstruction of justice and effecting a wide-ranging scheme to
destroy and corrupt the legal system and the powers of the courts under
Article III of the Constitution.
Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated
that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in
a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law,
and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in
office.
article ii: usurpation of the appropriations power
The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives ``shall
have the sole Power of Impeachment'' and that the President ``shall be
removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason,
Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors''. Further, Section 9 of
Article I of the Constitution states that ``No money shall be drawn
from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law''.
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States--and in
violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the
office of President of the United States and, to the best of his
ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United
States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that
the laws be faithfully executed--Donald John Trump has abused the
powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of,
the Constitution, in that:
Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump unlawfully
usurped Congress and its power to appropriate funds, thereby nullifying
the Appropriations Clause in the Constitution and violating the
Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Since taking office, he has signed
numerous Executive Orders directing agencies to withhold funds
appropriated by Congress. The President does not have the power to
override spending laws or impound appropriated funds, a principle
affirmed by numerous Supreme Court rulings.
Donald John Trump has withheld funds and terminated en masse
Federal employees and numerous Federal agencies and departments,
including the following:
(1) Directed the dismantling of the Department of
Education. As enacted in the Department of Education
Organization Act, signed into law by President Jimmy Carter,
the Department of Education was established by Congress to
create reform in the education system throughout the country,
distribute Federal aid to students and places of learning, and
prohibit discriminatory practices. The President does not have
the authority to dismantle the Department of Education, and his
signing of Executive Order 14242, which aims to ``Improving
Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and
Communities'', violates the law and the Constitution.
(2) Unlawfully directed the elimination of the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID). As enacted
in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, signed into law by
President John F. Kennedy, USAID plays a crucial role in
delivering foreign assistance worldwide, including disaster
relief, conflict relief, combating global diseases, promoting
educational programs, and enhancing food security in developing
countries. By dismantling USAID and freezing foreign
assistance, he has severed the United States from its
humanitarian role as directed by Congress, leaving other
countries and potentially our adversaries to fill in the role
the United States has abandoned.
(3) Created the so-called ``Department of Government
Efficiency (DOGE)'', which has imposed payment holds and
rescinded funds after disbursement. Donald John Trump has
utilized DOGE to unlawfully block or impound appropriated funds
to dozens of Federal agencies, including the National
Institutes of Health, the Federal Aviation Administration, and
the Department of Veterans Affairs. By impounding
congressionally appropriated funds, Donald John Trump and DOGE
have not only violated the law, but have negatively impacted
the American people by cutting jobs, halting critical services,
and rescinding grants for programs, in defiance of the express,
constitutionally binding will of Congress.
Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump has
unlawfully withheld congressionally appropriated funds and attempted to
dismantle congressionally mandated agencies. By withholding funds and
crippling agencies, he has prevented the Federal Government from
performing critical duties here and abroad. He has threatened the well-
being of United States citizens through the gross misconduct of his
office, resulting in dire and life-threatening consequences on the
world's most vulnerable populations.
Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated
that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in
a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law,
and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in
office.
article iii: abuse of trade powers and international aggression
The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives ``shall
have the sole Power of Impeachment'' and that the President ``shall be
removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason,
Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors''. Further, Section 8 of
Article I of the Constitution states, ``Congress shall have Power To
lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, . . . but all
Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United
States''. In his conduct of the office of President of the United
States--and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to
execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best
of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the
United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care
that the laws be faithfully executed--Donald John Trump has abused the
powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of,
the Constitution, in that:
Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump abused trade
powers by imposing unjustifiable and unreasonable tariffs on foreign
nations, causing a sharp decline in the United States economy and the
economies of countries around the world, and declaring the false
existence of a national security emergency to justify his actions.
Donald John Trump's tariffs contradicted trade agreements established
by his Administration and other administrations, including the duly
ratified and binding treaty obligations of the United States, thereby
breaking international laws and norms, leading to countries around the
world to enact damaging tariffs on goods and services originating from
the United States. His ``Liberation Day'' scheme, which imposed 10
percent tariffs on all countries, as well as additional tariffs based
on a formula for ``reciprocity'' widely mocked as nonsensical, led to
the most significant drop in the financial markets since the 2020 crash
triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, Donald John Trump has threatened foreign nations with
invasion, the annexation of territory, and the occupation of sovereign
territory through the use of military action. By doing this, he has
implicated the United States and himself in violation of
constitutionally binding treaty obligations, to include the North
Atlantic Treaty of 1949, the General Treaty for Renunciation of War as
an Instrument of National Policy of 1928, the Charter of the United
Nations of 1945, and the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance
of 1947. Donald John Trump threatened the following:
(1) Annexation of the sovereign country of Canada. Donald
John Trump has negatively impacted the deep and historic
relationship between the United States and Canada by stating
numerous times that Canada should become the 51st State, under
the threat of both economic coercion and military force.
(2) Unlawful and aggressive military action within Mexico,
to include drone strikes and the use of special operations
military personnel, ostensibly against drug cartels, in
violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that
country and without any congressional authorization to use
military force.
(3) Annexation of Greenland, an autonomous territory in the
Kingdom of Denmark. Donald John Trump has continued to use
hostile language aimed at taking control of Greenland, stating
that the United States will ``go as far as we have to go'' to
obtain control of Greenland. He has refused to rule out
military action to gain control of the territory, in violation
of international law and despite Denmark's longstanding
alliance and friendly relations with the United States.
(4) Annexation of the Panama Canal, owned and controlled by
Panama. During a joint session speech to Congress, Donald John
Trump stated that his Administration ``will be reclaiming the
Panama Canal''. He has refused to rule out military or economic
action against the sovereign country.
(5) Annexation of the Gaza Strip, involving the forced
resettlement of the Palestinian population to the surrounding
countries. Donald John Trump has stated that the United States
``will take over the Gaza Strip'' and ``own it''. His proposal
of taking over the Gaza Strip and the expulsion of its
population violates international law, including the Convention
on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,
would be unconstitutional absent the approval of the United
States Congress, and is profoundly unserious in light of the
grave humanitarian situation and ongoing armed conflict in
Gaza.
Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump has
unlawfully conducted himself, bringing shame and embarrassment to the
office of the Presidency and the people of the United States. He has
betrayed the trust of the Nation to conduct meaningful diplomatic
negotiations as its chief diplomat and failed to maintain peaceful
economic and defense relations with foreign countries. He has
threatened the security of the United States through gross misconduct
of his office, prompting hostilities towards Americans here and abroad,
as well as foreign nations warning their citizens against visiting the
United States, further harming the Nation's economy.
Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated
that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in
a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law,
and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in
office.
article iv: violation of first amendment rights
The Constitution pro