Putting aside the sheer insanity of withholding funding for the World Health Organization in the middle of a global pandemic, Trump has announced he will do exactly what he was impeached for.
Under the Constitution, Congress decides how the U.S. will spend money when it passes its budget. The President can veto that budget if he wants, but he can't sign the budget and then simply refuse to spend the money the way that Congress says it has to be spent. In the Ukraine scandal, Congress passed a budget that included spending on aid to Ukraine and Trump violated the law when he withheld that aid in his attempt to blackmail the country into investigating Biden. The media focused on the quid pro quo of the blackmail scheme, but the original crime was withholding the aid when the law required it be paid. That would have been a crime no matter why he did it.
Withholding funding from the WHO is exactly the same offense. WHO funding is part of the budget that was passed by Congress. Because Trump signed that budget, he is legally required to send the funding to the WHO. There is no exception for when the President throws a temper tantrum, or when he is trying to deflect blame from his own gross incompetence in handling the pandemic.
Trump is announcing the commission of a new impeachable offense. If he follows through, the House should immediately impeach him again.
Under the Constitution, Congress decides how the U.S. will spend money when it passes its budget. The President can veto that budget if he wants, but he can't sign the budget and then simply refuse to spend the money the way that Congress says it has to be spent. In the Ukraine scandal, Congress passed a budget that included spending on aid to Ukraine and Trump violated the law when he withheld that aid in his attempt to blackmail the country into investigating Biden. The media focused on the quid pro quo of the blackmail scheme, but the original crime was withholding the aid when the law required it be paid. That would have been a crime no matter why he did it.
Withholding funding from the WHO is exactly the same offense. WHO funding is part of the budget that was passed by Congress. Because Trump signed that budget, he is legally required to send the funding to the WHO. There is no exception for when the President throws a temper tantrum, or when he is trying to deflect blame from his own gross incompetence in handling the pandemic.
Trump is announcing the commission of a new impeachable offense. If he follows through, the House should immediately impeach him again.
