U.S. representatives from Connecticut and Long Island voted along party lines to impeach President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Connecticut’s five U.S. Representatives all voted in favor of impeachment. During the debate, Congressman Jim Himes said if Congress doesn’t check the President, he will continue to seek foreign interference in U.S. elections.
“He sees nothing wrong with inviting Russian, Ukrainian or Chinese interference into our election. He did it. He continues to do it, and he sees nothing wrong with it. He’ll wake up tomorrow and do it again if we don’t stop him today. Therein lies our hope.”
The House voted to impeach the President on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Democratic Representatives Tom Suozzi and Kathleen Rice of Long Island also voted to impeach.
Suozzi was concerned inaction would give Trump license to continue to abuse power and obstruct Congress and undermine the U.S. system of three coequal branches of government.
Rice defended her vote, saying her actions are based on evidence and facts. She said Trump made deliberate attempts to exchange U.S. foreign policy for campaign support and undermine House committee investigations.
Republicans Peter King and Lee Zeldin voted against impeachment. Zeldin blamed House Democrats for pushing a false narrative of Trump obstructing Congress and abusing power.
“This impeachment is ripping our country in half. It’s fatally flawed on the process, the substance, the intentions and the consequences. It’s a total ‘Schiff’ show.”
King said Democrats have set “a dangerous precedent of weaponizing impeachment.” King also voted against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton 21 years ago.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will now transmit the two articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial. It’s not clear when she will do that, but U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has already expressed concern that the Republican-led Senate will allow the trial to move forward without calling any witnesses to help exonerate, or condemn, the President.
“Is the President’s case so weak that none of the President’s men can defend him under oath?”
Schumer says an incomplete trial would give Trump license to continue to abuse power and obstruct Congress and that the trial will set precedent for future impeachment proceedings.
