Robert Weygand: “About two months ago, Mr. Speaker, I rose with 30 of my Democratic colleagues to support the Republican request for an…”

“About two months ago, Mr. Speaker, I rose with 30 of my Democratic colleagues to support the Republican request for an inquiry. I did so because I really had grave reservations about what the President had done. I truly believed that there may be indeed an impeachable offense. I listened with an open mind and hoped for fairness and openness in the hearings. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed because I looked for clear-cut evidence that would show me and my people in Rhode Island that indeed there was an impeachable offense. We did not come to that conclusion. So I researched and looked back, and back just 211 years Alexander Hamilton said in regard to impeachment, "In many cases it will connect itself with preexisting factions and will enlist all the animosities, the partialities, the influence and the interest in one side or the other. And in such cases it will always be dangerous that the decision will be regulated more by a comparison of strength of the parties rather than the demonstration of innocence or guilt." Mr. Speaker, I ask all of you to consider that because today it is the impartiality of partisanship and we should be really considering the evidence. It is not there. Please do not vote for these articles of impeachment.”