Politics

Amash Reacts To Mueller Statement: ‘The Ball Is In Our Court’

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

William Davis Contributor
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Republican Michigan Rep. Justin Amash appeared to urge Congress to take action after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s surprise statement on Wednesday.

“The ball is in our court, Congress,” Amash said in response to Mueller’s contention that his office could not charge a sitting president with a crime. (RELATED: Will Nancy Pelosi Budge On Impeachment?)


Amash is the only congressional Republican to have said that Mueller’s Report outlines impeachable offenses committed by President Donald Trump. Mueller’s statements Wednesday did not explicitly call for impeachment, but could be used by adversaries of the president to justify it.

“The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing,” Mueller said in a statement.

Amash held a town hall Tuesday night where he received a standing ovation for standing his ground on the impeachment issue. (RELATED: Amash Loses Support From Republican Lawmakers And Officials After ‘Impeachment’ Tweet Against Trump)

“I think it’s really important that we do our job as Congress. That we would not allow misconduct to go undeterred,” Amash said. “We have a job to do, and I think we owe it to the American people to represent them to ensure that the people we have in office are doing the right thing, are of good character, aren’t violating the public trust.”

Amash has faced intense criticism within the Republican party for his impeachment stand, receiving backlash from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise among others.

Amash is also facing a primary challenge in Michigan’s 3rd congressional district from a pro-Trump state Rep. Jim Lower, who has said that Amash’s impeachment stand proves he’s “out of touch.”

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