Lori Trahan: “Today, I rise to defend our democracy. In this Chamber, we debate the Nation's most pressing issues, and often…”

“Today, I rise to defend our democracy. In this Chamber, we debate the Nation's most pressing issues, and often, reasonable people can draw different conclusions. But not today. The facts are black and white. President Trump abused the power of his office for personal and political gain, and then he engaged in a coverup. It is up to us to confront those facts and vote to preserve and protect our democratic Republic. This is not a fight I or my colleagues sought out when we ran for Congress, but it is one we pledged when we raised our right hand and swore an oath to defend our Constitution. Anything other than a vote to impeach will be read as a vote endorsing a future President without rules or consequences, an ``anything goes, no holds barred'' brand of executive branch authority that will leave us weaker and surely undermine what the Framers passed down. We owe it to future generations to transcend personal interests and party loyalty and to vote our conscience for what is really at stake here today, the sanctity of our Constitution and the sanctity of our democracy.”