Abuse of Power

Common Cause hand-delivered a list of nine possible articles — including one outlining how Trump illicitly profited off the presidency — to all House members late last month. “Not including expanded articles … gives a green light for future presidents that these abuses can go unpunished,” said Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, which works closely with staff of House committees.

President Trump and his GOP apologists don’t get to have their cake and eat it too. After months of doing everything in their power to obstruct any investigation of presidential misconduct – particularly related to President Trump’s efforts to coerce and bribe the President of Ukraine to launch an investigation of his Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son – it is laughable that they are now trying to dismiss the process as a ‘witch hunt.”

Every American should be grateful for the life of William Ruckelhaus, who personified the rule of law by refusing President Nixon’s order to fire Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox.

The American people deserve a president who will respect the solemn oath they take to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and our democracy. As the U.S. House finishes up its public impeachment hearings, it’s clear that President Trump has violated that oath and shown a pattern of deception, obstruction, corruption, and abuse of power. Because of that, the House has no other option than to impeach, and the Senate to convict and remove the president from office.

Impeachment is an extraordinary measure that We the People put in place to remove a president for his dangerous actions. But we’re in an unprecedented and sobering moment — one that goes much further than a single Trump scandal.

Today’s vote is a defining moment for every member of the U.S. House of Representatives. History is watching as Republican Members will weigh the choice of casting a vote for their country or for their party. Amidst a growing list of witnesses testifying about shocking abuses of power by the Trump administration and the president’s inner circle and seismic shifts in public disapproval of the president’s conduct, this is the first time many Members will be asked to cast a formal vote that will put them on the right—or wrong—side of history.