On the recordDecember 18, 2019
I thank Chairman Nadler for his leadership as we navigate this challenging time, not just for our committee and Congress, but for our country. It is with profound sadness that I stand here today in support of these Articles of Impeachment. President Trump's behavior is exactly what our Founders feared most. They knew that with the awesome power of the Presidency came the risk of a President abusing that power for personal gain. They were particularly concerned about an executive who became entangled with foreign governments, corrupted our elections, or sought to avoid consequences for his own misconduct in office. That is why they included impeachment in the Constitution: to protect our Republic. Our colleagues across the aisle have claimed that we are impeaching the President because we don't like him, but this moment is about more than disagreement with the President's policies or personality. Those issues belong in the voting booth. Our task here is not to judge the President himself. Instead, we must judge his conduct and whether his actions have undermined our Constitution. The President has committed the highest of high crimes under our Constitution. He used the highest office in our government and taxpayer dollars to pressure a foreign country to interfere in our elections. He undermined our national security. When he got caught, he tried to cover it up, obstructing our investigation and refusing to produce subpoenaed documents and witnesses.…
