Byrne moves to audit how much impeachment cost the American taxpayer

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February 6, 2020

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) on Thursday introduced the Statement of Harm to the American Majority (SHAM) Act, which would work to determine the monetary and time cost of the now-finished impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.

A source with direct knowledge of the legislation confirmed to Yellowhammer News that the act has 26 original cosponsors.

The SHAM Act would specifically require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a formal audit of the use of taxpayer funds and loss of government productivity for both the legislative branch and the executive branch due to the impeachment inquiry and trial of Trump.

That audit would include costs, time spent, expenses (including time legislative and executive staff spent on impeachment related matters represented as a percentage of their salary) and estimations on loss of productivity.

Under the legislation, the comptroller general would be mandated to issue a report detailing the audit results to Congress within 180 days of the act’s enactment.

In a statement, Byrne said, “Tragically, there was no bigger loser in the Democrats’ impeachment sham than the American people. The SHAM Act will determine the true costs of this taxpayer-funded political hit job that kept Congress from addressing real issues that actually matter to the American people. The American people deserve to see just how much time and money was wasted on this sham, so the Democrats can be held accountable for what they have done to our country.”

A copy of the SHAM Act can be read here.

This came after Byrne on Wednesday released a video mocking Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for ripping up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday. Byrne in the video tore up an unofficial copy of the articles of impeachment against Trump, who was acquitted on both articles.

Hey @SpeakerPelosi — time to rip up your Articles of Impeachment. This sham is finally over! pic.twitter.com/L13BodXpsp

— Bradley Byrne (@BradleyByrne) February 5, 2020