Burgess: Impeachment 'needs to happen'

KELLER, Texas, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, told a Tea Party audience impeaching President Obama "needs to happen" to "tie things up" in Washington.

Burgess' comments came as he justified his vote for the debt ceiling deal to a group of Tea Party activists in Keller, Texas, Monday. The five-term congressman said he didn't want to find out what would happen if the U.S. government signaled it might not pay its bills, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Tuesday.

"I came to the conclusion that my country was more important than me, and if this meant I wasn't successful in running for re-election, I could not veer into that unknown territory of going past Aug. 2 without a resolution," Burgess said.

However, Burgess vowed not to support another increase in the debt limit, and when a constituent suggested impeaching Obama to stop his agenda, Burgess said, "It needs to happen, and I agree with you it would tie things up. No question about that."

The newspaper said when Burgess was later asked about his comments, the congressman couldn't specify what violations the Democratic president had allegedly committed to warrant impeachment but didn't rule out pursuing his removal from office.