On the recordFebruary 3, 2020
as Senators, we cast many votes during our time here. I have cast over 13,200. Each one of those votes is important, but a vote to convict or acquit the President on charges of impeachment is perhaps the most important vote a Senator could ever cast. Until now, it has happened only twice in our Nation's history, and it is something that should never be taken lightly. President Trump has been charged of committing, according to the Constitution and in these articles, ``high Crimes and Misdemeanors'' for requesting that a foreign leader investigate his potential political opponent and, No. 2, obstructing Congress's inquiry into those actions. For this, we are asked to permanently remove him from office. As a judge and juror, as we all are, I first ask whether the charges rise to an offense that unquestionably demands removal from office. If so, I then ask whether the House proved beyond a reasonable doubt that it actually occurred. The House's case fails on the first of those questions. The President's request is not impeachable conduct under our Constitution. A President isn't prohibited by law from engaging the assistance of a foreign ally in an anti-corruption investigation. The House tries to make up for this hurdle by suggesting that subjective motive--in other words, political advantage--can turn an otherwise unimpeachable act into an act that demands removal from office.…
