Political Quotes

“Madam President, for more than 200 years after our Constitution was adopted, only one President faced an impeachment trial before the Senate. That was Andrew Johnson in 1868. But now we are concluding our second impeachment trial in just 21 years. While each case must stand on its own facts, this trend reflects the increasingly acrimonious partisanship facing our Nation. The Founders warned against excessive partisanship, fearing that it would lead to ``instability, injustice, and confusion,'' ultimately posing a mortal threat to our free government. To protect against this, the Founders constructed an elaborate system of checks and balances to prevent ``factions'' from sacrificing ``both the public good and the rights of other citizens.'' Impeachment is part of that elaborate system. The Founders set a very high bar for its use, requiring that the President may only be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. The Framers recognized that in removing a sitting President, we would be acting against not only the officeholder but also the voters who entrusted him with that position. Thus, the Senate must consider whether misconduct occurred, its nature, and the traumatic and disruptive impact that removing a duly elected President would have on our Nation.…”